World's Fairs 1850-1950

guide on how to research world's' fairs and expositions, based on on Birth of the Modern Spring 2019 course guide

Suggested Search Terms

There is a huge amount of material out there to find on these topics.

In Databases, search the fair title. Also alternatives. For example, the 1893 "Chicago World's Fair" is also called "The Columbian Exhibition."

On Google, try searching for the name of the fair, plus either "visual culture" or "artifacts" or "posters,:Suggested Search Terms" etc.

A search like this also provides good results: “world’s fairs and visual culture.”

Otis College Library Catalog

Primary Sources

If you find something written in the period you are studying, it may qualify as a primary source.

VOGUE Archive This link opens in a new window
Entire run of Vogue magazine (US edition), from the first issue in 1892 to the current month with photos and ads. All searchable!

Vogue is perfect for historical research because it has every issue completely available going back to the late 1800s, including ads, articles, etc. All searchable by key word and date range. This amounts to PRIMARY sources. When off campus, login is required.

Periodical Databases

ArtSource + OmniFile This link opens in a new window
Full-text articles from 630 art and design magazines, 220 books, and 63,0000 images + 3,100 multidisciplinary periodicals.
ProQuest Research Library This link opens in a new window
General reference multidisciplinary. Full text with graphics. Overall dates of coverage: 1971 - present. Total titles covered: 2,600+.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Expanded access is now permanent. Access over 54,000 books and 2,600 journals from scholarly publishers across the fields of literature, music, film studies, folklore, performing arts, religion, art and architecture, and more.