‎NN - GHENT - GENT - GAND - World Exhibition 1913 - Photography Album :‎
‎Photography album containing 99 original photographs of the 1913 Ghent World Exhibition.‎

‎"6. Gent, 1913, oblong in-4°, 24 x 31 cm, 99 original photographs mounted recto and verso on 24 stiff boards, photo size varies but mainly around 80 x 110 mm , album bound in half cloth. The photographs depict the outside of the exhibition buildings ( 45 pictures) , the reconstruction of an african (senegalese) village ( 6 pictures) ; ''Veille Flandre'' (30 pictures), two snapshots of the royal visit at the exhibition ; 7 views of the city and of the surrounding countryside and 4 pictures of the interior of a flower exhibition ( presentation of the Dutch flower growers of Aalsmeer). The photographs, allthough not made by a professional photographer are technically well made and give a good idea of the exhibition. The Senegalese Village pictures show the still very colonial and patronising view of the Europeans on African society. It only very recently ( in 2013) led to a ''pre - political correctness'' controversy whereby the mayor of Ghent offered apologies for the racist misdemeanour of the former exhibition organisers. ( Bear in mind that surrealism partly originated in Belgium ).The ''Veille Flandre '' part of the exhibition was a recurring theme at belgian world exhibitions. It evokes the [mythical] flamboyant and exuberant flemish life style of mediaeval times. Its architecture rather resembles the actual centre of Bruges."‎

Reference : 41215

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