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Worlds Fairs: Montreal 1967

Montreal

Last modified: 2023-06-03 by zachary harden
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[Worlds Fairs: Montreal 1967]
image by Sylvain "Sly" Houde, 16 July 2008


See also:


Overview

Expo 67 was a universal exposition sanctioned by "Le Bureau International des Expositions", for which the theme was: "Man and His World". The logo was designed by Montreal artist Julien Hébert. The basic unit of the logo is an ancient symbol of man. Two of the symbols (pictograms of 'man') are linked as to represent friendship. The icon was repeated in a circular arrangement to represent 'friendship around the world'. The flag came only in blue to represent the "Blue Planet".
Sylvain "Sly" Houde, 16 July 2008

The Montréal Expo 67 dubbed "Universal and International Exhibition of 1967" took place between April 28 and October 27, 1967. It was also nicknamed "Man and his World", taken from Antoine de Saint Exupéry's memoir Terre des hommes (literally "Land of Men"), translated as Wind, Sand and Stars.
Sources:
http://www.alamedainfo.com/Expo_67_Montreal.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_67

There were three candidates for a 1967 Universal Exhibition at the March 1960 reunion of the BIE: Austria withdrew its candidacy and the following contest for the 1967 date was won on May 5th 1960 by the USSR, after a long five-vote session. But the USSR later withdrew and on November 13 1962, Canada was awarded the Exhibition. "The Canadian Corporation for the 1967 Exhibition was created on December 20 1962, barely a month later, demonstrating that things can really move along when there’s a political will," explained Yves Jasmin in two e-mail correspondences to the proprietor of this website. "Prime Minister Diefenbaker appointed Paul Bienvenu as Commissioner General and Cecil Carsley as Deputy Commissioner General on January 22, 1963: the first administration." "The official name was The 1967 Universal and International Exhibition in Montréal. L'Exposition universelle et internationale de 1967 à Montréal. A bit of a mouthful. It needed a more convenient name," said Yves (Yves Jasmin, Director of Information, Publicity and Public Relations for Expo 67). While the length of the name was but one factor for calling it Expo 67, there was a second factor behind the decision. "(Cecil) Carsley did not want to call it a Fair. The New York World’s Fair (1964-65) was in full swing and fairs have a commercial overtone while the Montréal event was thematic and NOT a fair," said Yves (Jasmin). "Mayor Drapeau suggested the name Expo 67, recalling a 1937 Maurice Chevalier song La p'tite dame de l'Expo, a girlfriend he had met at the spectacular 1937 "specialized" exhibition [Les Arts et Métiers] in Paris." Yves also noted in his correspondence that "Drapeau's suggestion carried unanimity." Coining it as Expo 67 proved to be a wise decision that had a historical benefit: because of the enormous success of Expo 67, it has become common practice for most countries to utilize the "Expo" phraseology when naming their event. "When Japan had its 1970 World Exhibition, they asked our permission to call it Expo 70
Source: http://expo67.ncf.ca/phraseology_why_it_was_called_expo_67_p1.html

The first public announcement that Canada would pursue the idea of hosting a World Exposition was made by Conservative Senator Mark Drouin during Canada Day at the Brussels Universal and International Exhibition of 1958. Pierre Sévigny, a Conservative Member of Parliament, was initially slated to make the announcement in Brussels but fell ill in Paris and therefore gave Drouin the speech to deliver. While Drouin was the first political figure to announce it, the genesis of Canada hosting a World Exposition does not belong to him. "But the initial merit goes back to Louis-Alphonse Barthe, a publicist who ran small fairs and exhibitions in rural Quebec," writes Yves Jasmin in his book La Petite Histoire d'Expo 67. "He had an idea and spoke to his sister Marcelle who was then a well-known newscaster at the French network of the CBC, Radio-Canada. She suggested that he speak to Pierre Sévigny, newly elected in the Diefenbaker conservative government and responsible for the party’s presence in the province of Quebec." The City of Toronto was initially offered to host the World Exposition but rejected the idea, leaving then Montréal Mayor Sarto Fournier to campaign for it. Expo 67 was the Western Hemisphere's first exhibition in the first-category (defined officially as one at which various countries construct their own pavilions and which "constitutes a living testimony to the contemporary epoch").
Source: http://expo67.ncf.ca/expo_info_corner.html

Expo 67 also introduced the idea of expo passports, wherein you could get your book stamped as you visited each pavilion.
Source: http://expomuseum.com/1967/
Esteban Rivera, 21 May 2011


Logo and Flag

The logo "was designed by Montreal artist Julien Hébert. The basic unit of the logo is an ancient symbol of man. Two of the symbols (pictograms of 'man') are linked as to represent friendship. The icon was repeated in a circular arrangement to represent 'friendship around  the world'. The logotype is lower-case bold-face, Optima font. It did not enjoy unanimous support from federal politicians, as some of them tried to kill it with a motion in the Canadian House of Commons". "Basic unit of the Expo 67 symbol is an ancient sign representing Man -- vertical line with outstretched arms -- linked in pairs to represent friendship with the circle (right) to suggest friendship, around the world."
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_67#Logo
http://expo67.morenciel.com/an/man_and_world.php
http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/category/expo-67/page/6/
http://expo67.ncf.ca/basic_unit_of_the_expo_67_symbol_p1.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg7vkQertkk&feature=player_embedded

An image of the logo is seen here:
http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/expo67_logo_canadian_design.jpg

Images of the flag are seen here:
http://randytreadway.com/Expo-Brit2.jpg
Source: http://www.worldsfaircommunity.org/topic/3183-expo-67-ruins-featured-today-on-scifi-channel/page__st__15
http://www.worldsfairphotos.com/expo67/broadcasting.htm (second flag from left to right)

An interview in video (in French) with Julien Hébert, explaining the logo and the flag. Video dated April 12, 1964
http://ms.radio-canada.ca/archives_new/2002/fr/wmv/exposition_universelle19640412.wmv

There are also three Pennants seen here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Montreal-Canada-EXPO-67-1967-Worlds-Fair-Pennant-7-/330514877927?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cf438cde7
http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/images/Pennants%20Page/expo67-1.JPG
http://expo67.ncf.ca/expo_pennant.html

For additional sources go to:
http://expomuseum.com/1967/
http://www.westland.net/expo67/ (Construction of the site, pictures, articles)
http://www.alamedainfo.com/Expo_67_Montreal.htm (Postcards)
http://www.worldsfairphotos.com/expo67/index.htm (Pictures and official
http://expo67.morenciel.com/an/index.php (website based on the "Expo 67 Official Guide")
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/expo/index-e.html (Library and Archives of Canada on the Expo 67, Intro)
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/expo/053301_e.html (Library and Archives of Canada on the Expo 67, Main Index)
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/expo/0533020304_e.html (Library and Archives of Canada on the Expo 67, bidding process, architecture, etc.)
http://archives.radio-canada.ca/societe/celebrations/dossiers/21/ (Radio Canada audio and video archives on the Expo 67)
http://archives.radio-canada.ca/fr/expo67/ (Radio Canada 40th anniversary of Expo 67 website)
http://www.cbc.ca/photogallery/canada/454/ (Picture gallery)
http://collectibles.shop.ebay.com/1967-Montreal-/165496/i.html (Souvenirs, 8 pages total)
http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/category/expo-67/page/1/ (Souvenirs)
http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/category/expo-67/page/2/ (Souvenirs)
http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/category/expo-67/page/3/ (Souvenirs)
http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/category/expo-67/page/4/ (Souvenirs)
http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/category/expo-67/page/5/ (Souvenirs)
http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/category/expo-67/page/6/ (Souvenirs)
http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/category/expo-67/page/7/ (Souvenirs)
http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=2497,3090607&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL (Article in French)
http://www.expo67.org/ (Expo 67 Foundation)
http://expo67.ncf.ca/ (40th anniversary of the Expo)
http://www.parcjeandrapeau.com/expo_67.html (Site of the Expo)
Esteban Rivera, 21 May 2011


Canadian Paper and Pulp Pavilion

[Worlds Fairs: Montreal 1967]
image by Pete Loeser, 04 July 2011

Looking for information on this World Expo, on April 25 I encountered the flag of the Canadian Pulp and Paper (the flag is the Canadian Pulp and Paper logo which are two tall trees intertwined, in white bold outline, on a green horizontal background).

Pictures of the flag:
http://expo67.ncf.ca/expo67_pulp_and_paper_pavilion_construction.html (Canadian Pulp and Paper under construction). Source: Life magazine
- http://expo67.ncf.ca/expo_pulppaper_p8.html (green flag on the left, next to Canada's Maple Leaf red-white-red flag)
- http://expo67.ncf.ca/cdn_pulp_paper_nae000990845.jpg (aerial view of the pavilion, green flag on the right, next to the Canadian flag). Source: http://strangeharvest.com/wp11/?p=149
- http://www.strangeharvest.com/pulppavillion.jpg (Scale model of the pavilion, green flag on the left, next to the Canadian flag)
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/hollywoodplace/5434074054/in/pool-worldsfairs (Postcard of the pavilion, green flag on the left, next to Canada's flag)
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/hollywoodplace/3750276283/in/pool-worldsfairs (Pavilion picture, no flag seen here, but one can see the Canadian Pulp and Paper logo on the entrance to the pavilion).
- http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/canadian-pulp-and-paper.jpg (Close-up of the logo of the Canadian Pulp and Paper, which is actually featured on the flag).

[Canadian Centennial Flag] image located by Esteban Rivera, 21 May 2011

"Forests and trees were the theme of the Canadian Pulp and Paper Pavilion on Ile Notre-Dame - in which the tallest trees are as high as an eight story building. The first four main exhibit areas shows forest legends of the world, combining sound effects and animation in a whimsical treatment." Source: http://expo67.ncf.ca/expo_pulppaper_p1.html
Esteban Rivera, 21 May 2011