Date: 1931
Size: 17.5 x 15 inches (open), 8 x 5 inches (folded)
About the Poster: Paris has always been the heart and soul of France, and this 1931 map, one of a series we recently received, features an overview of the entire city. The map was produced and printed by the famous Galerie Lafayette to commemorate the 1932 Paris Colonial Exposition.
About the Exposition: Our friends at Wikipedia tell us that "The exposition opened on 6 May 1931 on the eastern outskirts of Paris.The scale was enormous. It is estimated that from 7 to 9 million visitors came from over the world.The French government brought people from the colonies to Paris and had them create native arts and crafts and perform in grandly scaled reproductions of their native architectural styles such as huts or temples.
Politically, France hoped the exposition would paint its colonial empire in a beneficial light, showing the mutual exchange of cultures and the benefit of France's efforts overseas. The exposition highlighted the endemic cultures of the colonies and downplayed French efforts to spread its own language and culture abroad, thus advancing the notion that France was associating with colonised societies, not assimilating them.
This stunning map is in excellent condition. A perfect gift for a lover of Paris, a traveller, or a historian. Ready to frame.