| 1949Port-au-Prince | |
|---|---|
 Haitian presidentDumarsais Estimé at the Expo | |
| Overview | |
| BIE-class | Universal exposition |
| Category | Second category General Exposition |
| Name | L'Exposition Internationale de port au Prince 1949 |
| Motto | 200 years Port au Prince |
| Area | 30 hectares (74 acres) |
| Organized by | Dumarsais Estimé |
| Location | |
| Country | Haiti |
| City | Port-au-Prince |
| Venue | Gonave Bay |
| Timeline | |
| Bidding | October 12, 1948 (1948-10-12) |
| Awarded | December 5, 1948 (1948-12-05) |
| Opening | December 1, 1949 (1949-12-01) |
| Closure | June 8, 1950 (1950-06-08) |
| Universal expositions | |
| Previous | 1939 New York World's Fair inNew York City |
| Next | Expo 58 inBrussels |
| Specialised Expositions | |
| Previous | International Exhibition on Urbanism and Housing (1947) inParis |
| Next | The International Textile Exhibition inLille |
| Simultaneous | |
| Specialized | Universal Sport Exhibition (1949) inStockholm andThe International Exhibition of Rural Habitat inLyon |
TheExposition internationale du bicentenaire de Port-au-Prince was a world's fair held inPort-au-Prince,Haiti in1949 to mark the 200th anniversary of the city's founding.
PresidentDumarsais Estimé argued in 1948 for an exposition to demonstrate Haitian culture to other countries and encourage tourism and committed $1 million (then almost three-quarters of Haiti's annual budget) to the project.[1]
The fair opened on ground at theGonave Bay which had been cleared of houses and landscaped with gardens, parks and tall coconut and palm trees[1]
There were two opening ceremonies: the first on December 8, 1949 and the second on February 12, 1950.[2]
During the first ceremony, a telegram from US presidentHarry S. Truman to Haitian presidentDumarsais Estimé was read out, a parade of US soldiers and marines and a US Air Force squadron flew overhead, and the national exhibits and amusement area opened.
During the second ceremony, the international as well as the official pavilions were opened. Displays were on show fromArgentina,Cuba,France,Guatemala,Italy,Mexico andVenezuela,[2] withVatican City providing a chapel.
An art competition was held, withGesner Abelard winning a bronze prize, andJacques-Enguerrand Gourgue a gold.[3]
Marian Anderson,Alberto Beltran,Frantz Casseus,Celia Cruz,Miles Davis, Issa El Saeih,Dizzy Gillespie,Ernst Lamy,Ti Ro Ro,La Scala singers, members of the Grand National Opera New York,Daniel Santos,[4]Don Shirley[5]andBebo Valdes[4] all performed during the exposition.
The following countries were invited to and participated in the exhibition:
Following the close of the exposition many of the pavilions were used for Haitian Governmental Buildings. The Pavilion of Haiti was converted into the Legislative Assembly Building. The Post Pavilion became a post office. The Guatemala Pavilion became the home of the Haiti Red Cross, and the Vatican Pavilion became a church. The devastating2010 Haiti earthquake laid waste to many buildings in Haiti including most of these exposition buildings including the Legislative Building, Red Cross, and Post Office.
18°32′58″N72°20′54″W / 18.5494°N 72.3484°W /18.5494; -72.3484
