International Exhibitions, Literary Capitalism, and the Emergence of Comparative Literature

Abstract

The invention of international fairs in the 19th century revolutionized both nationalism and modern thinking on global relationships since they showcased but also contested and negotiated national, imperial, and global identities. From the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace to the 1900 Paris Exposition, the international fairs / expositions universelles were landmarks of histoire croisée of nationalism, global thinking, and capitalism. Even though they seem to be showcasing industrial progress, they also created a completely new frame for the self-fashioning, vindication, and negotiation of national arts and literatures, interpreted in a global setting and in capitalist terms. I propose to explore the pattern and experience of the 19th-century international fair / exposition universelle as an important frame for the emerging modern transnational literary scene, fueling major debates on the nature of nationalism, cosmopolitanism, and capitalism.