International Exposition of Art and Technology in Modern Life
1937

On the eve of World War 2, Paris hosts a grand display of art, technology, and competing visions of modern life

The International Exposition of 1937, officially titled the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne, was held in Paris from May to November 1937. Its theme, “Arts and Techniques in Modern Life,” reflected a world fascinated by progress, design, industry, and the promise of modern technology. Spread around the Trocadéro, the Champ de Mars, and the banks of the Seine, the exposition placed the Eiffel Tower once again at the center of a grand Parisian spectacle.

​

The fair featured national pavilions, industrial displays, decorative arts, science exhibits, and cultural presentations from around the world. New and striking buildings were created for the event, including the Palais de Chaillot and the Palais de Tokyo, both of which remain important Paris landmarks today. Visitors encountered everything from art and design to aviation, radio, electricity, colonial displays, and visions of the modern city.

​

What made the 1937 exposition especially memorable was the dramatic political atmosphere surrounding it. The pavilions of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union stood opposite one another near the Eiffel Tower, turning the fairgrounds into a powerful symbol of the tensions building in Europe before World War II. Although the exposition celebrated beauty, innovation, and international cooperation, it is often remembered today as one of the last great world’s fairs before the war changed Europe forever.

​

The postcards in this collection preserve the visual world of the 1937 exposition as visitors saw it: monumental pavilions, illuminated fountains, sweeping views of the Seine, and modern buildings arranged around the Eiffel Tower. These cards served as souvenirs, keepsakes, and small works of printed art, allowing people to carry home a piece of the fair. Displayed below, they offer a glimpse into both the optimism and the uncertainty of Paris in 1937.