The bulk of these records were created by the Office of International Trade Promotion within the Bureau of International Commerce (a predecessor of the International Trade Administration). Records in this series after November 17, 1972 were created by the Domestic and International Business Administration, Bureau of International Commerce, Office of International Marketing, Exhibits Design Staff.
International trade fairs allowed the United States to provide U.S. businessmen effective trade promotion opportunities and to promote the American way of life under the free enterprise system. Trade fair exhibits in established trade fairs were designed to attract new firms into the export markets and to increase the exports of firms already in international trade. Based on market studies, the fair locations were chosen to present the highest possible export potential for U.S. goods. Firms were encouraged to participate by the provision of specialized design and exhibit services, along with efforts to assist them to obtain agents and distributors and to make export sales. The Office of International Trade Promotion with cooperation from the Department of State: and the U.S. Information Agency was able to tell the story of U.S. private enterprise through the Interagency Trade Fair Exhibits Program. The program consisted of about seventeen exhibits either in established international trade fairs or "solo" U.S. exhibitions, where the commercial potential was insufficient for a commerce trade fair. Less developed countries and Soviet bloc countries were the primary sites for interagency fairs, where export sales could be promoted, however, the exhibits were chosen to display salable merchandise. Each exhibit was planned around themes which took advantage of the broad variety of U.S. manufacturing enterprises to tell a story which was understandable to the people of the country in which the exhibition occurred.
Pictured in this series are exterior and interior views of the U.S. pavilion at each fair and views of individual exhibits. Interesting exhibitions include the U.S. Light Industrial Machinery Exhibition in Hong Kong in 1966 (489-FF-24); the International Exhibition of Dairy Equipment in Munich in 1966 (489-FF-29); and the Instruments Electronic Automation International Trade Fair in London in 1968 (489-FF-63). Some exhibitors pictured include Pan American Airlines, Eastman Kodak, General Electric, General Motors, Digital Equipment, and Snap-On Tools. Products exhibited include office equipment, major appliances, machine tools, computer technology, hospital equipment, farm equipment, and motor vehicles.
Included in this series are views of notable personalities visiting fairs, including Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba (489-FF-2-3-14 to 489-FF-2-4-14 and 489-FF-3-3-12 to 489-FF-3-4-2); South Korean President Park Chung Hee (489-FF-86-2-4 to 489-FF-86-2-13 and 489-FF-150-2-19 to 489-FF-150-3-9); New Zealand Prime Minister Keith Holyoake (489-FF-55-1-1); U.S. Ambassador Phillip Habib (489-FF-148-1-19); and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Maurice Stans (489-FF-86-2-16 to 489-FF-86-3-17 and 489-FF-86-4-1 to 489- FF-86-4-14). In addition, there are portraits of notable personalities, including U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson sitting behind his desk (489-FF-37-2-1) and U.S. astronaut Edward White II in his space suit (489-FF-36-3-17). This series also includes views of the welcoming message to exhibitions from U.S. Presidents, U.S. Secretaries of Commerce, and the leader of a host country. These messages are usually displayed on a wall near the exhibition entrance and accompanied by a portrait of the author. Welcoming messages can be found from U.S. President John F. Kennedy (489-FF-1-1-4 and 489-FF-1-3-15); U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson (489-FF -71-1-20,489-FF-77-1-5, and 489-FF-77-3-15); U.S. President Richard Nixon (489-FF-87-2-16, 489-FF-100- 2-8, and 489-FF-169-1-4) ; U.S. Secretary of Commerce Maurice Stans (489-FF-87-2- 18); U.S. Secretary of Commerce Peter G. Peterson (489- FF- 155-1-15); and the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (489- FF-169-1-4).
Other slides of interest include views of Buckingham Palace (489-FF-157-1-1 and 489-FF-157-1-19); a broadside view of the commercial vessel "Seven Seas" (489-FF-37-1-2); and a view of the National Canadian Exhibition Place (489-FF-132-3-14).
Related Records: Other photographs of U.S. exhibits at trade fairs may be found in Record Group 489, Series OF "Photographic Prints of United States Exhibits at Overseas Trade Fairs, 1957-1965".
Related Records: Other photographs of U.S. exhibits at trade fairs may be found in Record Group 489, Series TF "Slides and Transparencies of U.S. Exhibits at International Trade Fairs and Expositions, 1956-1969".
