Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs, 1851-1939 Exhibition Records
Scope and Contents Note
Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs, 1851-1939 Exhibition Records contain materials related to the traveling exhibition co-organized by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh. These records include research and notes on world’s fairs and objects connected to them, exhibition catalogue materials, exhibition layouts and assessments, correspondence (primarily with institutions that held potential objects to include in the exhibition), and materials related to events, education, and marketing and communication surrounding the exhibition.
Photocopies of articles and other research documents span the 19th and 20th centuries, but exhibit planning and implementation documents date from 1999 to 2012.
Dates
- Creation: 1998-2014
Restrictions on Access
Since this collection is unprocessed, requested records must be reviewed before they can be viewed by researchers; allow a minimum of one week for review.
Conditions Governing Use Note
Notification of intent to publish, quote, or cite archival materials is required. Contact the archives via https://nelson-atkins.org/library/.
Biographical / Historical Note
Exhibition venues/dates:
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City, MO) - April 14-August 19, 2012
Carnegie Museum of Art (Pittsburgh, PA) - October 13, 2012–February 24, 2013
New Orleans Museum of Art (New Orleans, LA) - April 12–August 4, 2013
Mint Museum (Charlotte, NC) - September 21, 2013–January 19, 2014
Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs, 1851-1939 (April 14-August 19, 2012) was a traveling exhibition co-organized by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh. Curated by Catherine L. Futter, Helen Jane and Hugh “Pat” Uhlmann Curator of Decorative Arts at the Nelson-Atkins, and Jason T. Busch, the Alan G. and Jane A. Lehman Curator of Decorative Arts at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, the exhibit was sponsored by Wells Fargo, which had held an exhibit at Chicago’s World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. During the show’s run at the Nelson-Atkins, it attracted over 50,000 visitors before moving on to the Carnegie Museum of Art (Pittsburgh, PA), the New Orleans Museum of Art (New Orleans, LA), and the Mint Museum (Charlotte, NC).
According to the exhibition catalog, the history of world’s fairs equated to 140 events held within 30 countries over a period of 160 years. The 200 objects included for display in the exhibit were each showcased at a world’s fair – ranging from the first Great Exhibition in London in 1851 to the last world’s fair in New York in 1939. These pieces, which consisted of furniture, glass, ceramics, jewelry, textiles, and metalwork, were chosen to illustrate the modern fashion tastes, innovative techniques, and “cross-cultural” influences of their specific eras between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of the pieces also reflected the “national objectives'' and “folkloric customs'' of various countries while epitomizing landmark style movements such as Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, and Art Déco.
Futter expressed to the museum’s Board of Trustees that the exhibit was to be the first of its kind – focusing on international exhibitions as “global meeting places where innovation and utopian visions were fostered.” Both curators felt that while these fairs defined eras through the showcasing of technological advancements, new resources, and fashion trends, they also held great importance in educating generations of artists and influencing the establishment of artistic and cultural institutions.
Extent
15 Linear Feet (In 12 record center cartons.)
Language of Materials
English
Organization
This is an unprocessed collection. A general overview of each box's contents is provided in its associated scope and contents note.
Immediate Source of Acquistion Note
Transfer; accession numbers associated with this collection are 2015-10 and 2016-01.
Accruals Note
Additions to the collection are not anticipated.
- Title
- Finding Aid of the Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs, 1851-1939 Exhibition Records, RG 24/60
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Archives Repository