Geopolitics in Encapsulated Worlds: Spatial Configuration and World Orders in the Chicago (1893), Paris (1900), and New York (1939) World’s Fairs

Abstract

In this chapter, I will analyze how the fairs reflected the geopolitical reorganization of the world that occurred between 1890 and 1940, and how theofficial and private maps distributed during these events contributed to thecreation of new geographical imaginations. This was induced by the spatialorganization of the fair, the visual information presented in the maps, and theitineraries proposed by these cartographic materials. To this end, I will studythe World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893), the Paris UniversalExposition (1900), and the New York World’s Fair (1939). These events,situated in three major cosmopolitan cities, attracted such significant publicattendance that their impact on the formation of a collective geographicalimaginary likely extended beyond the duration of the fair itself, as well asbeyond the exhibition space and confines of the fairgrounds.