Expo '74

Riverfront Park with the '74 Pavilion and Great Northern Railroad Depot Clocktower shown.

The Expo '74 logo design was based on the Möbius strip, representing unbroken continuum, with the colors of earth, air, and water.

U.S. postage stamp, featuring artwork by Peter Max, that commemorated Expo '74.

Expo '74 was an environmentally themed world's fair in Spokane, Washington that ran from 4 May to 3 November 1974.

Expo '74, in proclaiming itself the first exposition on an environmental theme, distanced itself from the more techno-centric world's fairs of the sixties. This environmental theme was displayed in events such as a symposium at Expo '74, on United Nations World Environment Day (June 5), of 1,200 people including many national representatives, and another, on ECAFE (United Nations Economic Council for Asia and the Far East) Day (June 14) on the importance (or otherwise) of the environment to countries in that region.

Spokane was the smallest city to host a (Bureau of International Expositions recognized) world's fair until Knoxville, Tennessee held the 1982 World's Fair eight years later. After considering other slogans, such as “How Man Can Live, Work and Play in Harmony With His Environment”, Expo '74 Settled on “Celebrating Tomorrow's Fresh New Environment.” The heart of the fair park grounds was located on Canada Island, Havermale Island, and the adjacent south bank of the Spokane River in the center of the city. With the exception of two pavilions, all of the major buildings were modular structures assembled on the site. The fair had 5.2 million visitors and was considered a success, nearly breaking even, revitalizing the blighted urban core, and pumping an estimated $150 million into the local economy and surrounding region.

Among the many attractions, architectural critics were intrigued by the Australian Pavilion with its 36 screen revolving audio visual platform and model of the newly completed Sydney Opera House. (The artistic director for the project was film director Jonathan Dawson). In fact Australia was one of only a handful of countries with an official presence at the fair. The others were Canada, West Germany, Iran, Japan, Republic of China (Taiwan), Republic of Korea, USA and the USSR.

Several countries exhibits seemed designed to demonstrate their nation's lack of environmental care:

while other world's fairs had introduced the telephone, the escalator, and the Belgian waffle, Spokane's Expo '74 would be associated forever with the “institutionalized mea culpa.”

— Calvin Trillin, New Yorker

An environmental theme was never used before in any World's Fair up until that time (it was repeated during Expo 2008). World's Fairs were started at the beginning of The Industrial Revolution to showcase and demonstrate new products to the public. This theme idea was unique and would contribute to what would become the basis for future themes for other World's Fairs as consumer goods would be appearing in various trade shows on a more frequent basis (such as the Consumer Electronics Show). Kodak, General Motors, and Ford had pavilions at this fair but they were very scaled down in size and presence than the exhibits constructed for the New York Worlds Fair ten years earlier. For the first time since the companies creation, General Electric didn't have a pavilion at this fair but sponsored the musical group "Up with People" that performed during the Summertime at the fair. One piece of technology did makes its debut to the United States, the Imax movie theater. The original theater built in the United States Pavilion had a movie screen that was 300 * 215 ft and covered that complete front of the theater. It was the largest indoor movie screen at the time and had bigger dimension than a typical drive in move screen. With the movie "To Fly" being shown, it appeared to many as if they were in motion while flying over places such as The Grand Canyon.

After the event closed, the exposition site became the city's 100 acre (400,000 m²) Riverfront Park, containing the former U.S. Pavilion and a clock tower (part of a Great Northern rail depot that was demolished for Expo '74), which prominently featured the park's logo.

Several structures built for the fair are still standing. The United States Pavilion still houses an IMAX theater built after the fair (The original one built for the fair beneath the pavilion was abandoned), as well as a winter ice rink that is put to other varied uses in the warm months. The "Sky Ride" chairlift from Expo '74 still stands as well, but not in its original place. It has since been moved to Adventureland theme park in Altoona, Iowa. The Washington State Pavilion still stands and is used as the Spokane Convention Center and the Opera House. The Carousel remains a popular attraction. It originated in Natatorium Park, which closed in 1967, and was restored for the World's Fair.

The original covering of the US pavilion was a thick vinyl sheeting that was not designed to last. It was allowed to remain until it began to deteriorate, become unsightly and was thought a safety hazard. When the city opted to remove the covering, chunks of the thick vinyl could be purchased as keep-sakes. The tent design itself with its heavy cables was not intended to stay up, however the people of Spokane voiced the opinion that it should remain as a unique architectural statement, and a monument to the 1974 exposition.

Entertainment and famous visitors

Dance: Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Company

External links

• Spokane Expo '74
• A Virtual Visit to Expo '74
• Spokane Night Scenes, Riverfront Park
• Riverfront Park: Still an attraction 30 years after fair
• [1]Up with People history. General Electric sponsoring the group for Expo 74.