World's Fair materials

This collection consists of photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, a playbill, 2 guidebooks on the United States pavilion, the May edition of Ivy Magazine, a special World’s Fair issue of the Paris Match magazine in French, an April 1967 issue of Life magazine on Expo 67 (World’s Fair in 1967), and fliers from the Brussels World’s Fair in 1958. Much of the content is in reference to the American Pavilion, a part of which (the American Theater) still stands today in Belgium. There is also information regarding the controversial “Unfinished Work” exhibition, focusing on racial issues and other challenges faced in America at the time. The exhibit was originally an acknowledgment of the USSR’s criticism regarding segregation and racial discrimination in the United States. The exhibit faced backlash from many lawmakers in the United States, accusing the exhibit of presenting a poor image of the country. In addition, there is material praising the holistic content focused on the American lifestyle, as well as the elegant architecture found throughout the pavilion. Sources include fliers advertising a few shows at the American Theater, a memorandum from the Office of the U.S. Commissioner General, a letter approving the exhibits from the U.S. Secretary of State, a letter from a Yale student about their trip to Brussels and the World’s Fair, and a little booklet advertising Flek’s Beer Brewery. Most of the photographs highlight the architecture and exhibits of the American Pavilion.