The Great Exhibition of London, 1851, was the first international exposition; its focus was on the many technological advances and products from around the world resulting from the Industrial Revolution. Since that time, international fairs and exhibitions have been hosted and attended by many nations as a way to introduce advances in science and technology to the public and to private industry. By 1912, the success of the world's fairs, and the tourist income that came with them caused such intense competition between nations for the honor of hosting one, that the Bureau of International Expositions (B.I.E.) was created. Having been interrupted by World War I, the Bureau, now centered in Paris, was ratified by thirty-one nations in 1920, and since that time, has organized and continues to organize the scheduling and promotion of the world's fairs. In addition to the fairs administered by the B.I.E., many different nations and private organizations have sponsored independent international exhibitions of a more narrow focus, such as 1959 USSR Exhibition of Achievements in Science, Technology, and Culture in New York City, a joint effort between the Soviet Union and the United States.
This collection was amassed by Edward J. Kobiela, author and traveler, who had planned to write a book about the role international exhibitions played in promoting technological and scientific development. The book was never finished.
From the guide to the Edward J. Kobiela World's Fair Collection, 1872-1986, (University of New Mexico. Center for Southwest Research.)
