Nordic Exhibition of 1888

The Nordic exhibition of Industry, Agriculture, and Art of 1888 was an exhibition that aimed to feature the best of art, industry, and agriculture from the five Nordic countries. It was a joint-venture between 29 organisations and institutions, with the weight on the private side, represented foremost by the Association of Copenhagen Industrialists. The exhibition was located in Copenhagen, Denmark and was visited by 1.3 million people.

Organizers contributed with his or her picture of "what the fuss was all about." Pictures which were added to the event as a whole. In the spring of 1883, however, all these views on the exhibition were part of the future. At that point the completeness of the exhibition was narrowed down to be an idea fostered by Mr. Philip Schou. The latter was a successful shareholder and daily manager of the ceramic factory Royal Copenhagen.

Like the foregoing generations of influential men - say, in the years from democracy was being introduced to the state of Denmark - Philip Schou took a great length of time to involve himself in national issues. In short, the idea to the exhibition was fostered in a period when the nation was being built. Built by men who recognized they were in that process, even though they surely could only guess on the collective outcome of their actions.

The emphasis of this specific cultural thread was, of cause, especially influential to the capital milieus of Copenhagen. And as such, fertilized both the forthcoming (as well as the realization) of the exhibition concept. Thus it was pointed out time and again by Philip Schou; the expo took place to create a platform foremost for the Danish citizens. So they would recognize the completeness of the national splendours; the products, lifestyles, and arts from all of Denmark. Likewise it was exactly the national aspects that knitted the different interests together in the organising assembly of the exhibition. Surely conflicts could not be avoided. Nevertheless, the corporation was fueled with the knowledge that the buzzing combatants in the end belonged to the same hive.

An everlasting cause to conflicts in the exhibition committee was the question of how industrial art should be part of the scenario. To Philip Schou and those who had supported his idea from the beginning it was exactly the innermost mission of the exhibition to advocate that concept.

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Wikipedia