Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-p2v8j Total loading time: 0.001 Render date: 2024-05-17T08:26:12.038Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Porfirian Commercial Propaganda: Mexico in the World Industrial Expositions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2015

Gene Yeager
Gene Yeager*
Affiliation:
Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Students of late nineteenth century history have long dismissed the world industrial expositions as glittering, but not highly significant reflections of the gilded age. What emerges from the literature of the period, however, is a sense of the overriding commercial importance of these exhibitions. Nineteenth-century observers consistently linked the fairs to the general growth of world trade and to the expanding commercial hegemony of the United States. More specifically, contemporaries agreed that the expositions served to develop trade and investment ties with Latin America. Among the Latin American countries represented in the expositions, Mexico was the most important and consistent participant.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Americas , Volume 34 , Issue 2 , October 1977 , pp. 230 - 243
Copyright
Copyright © Academy of American Franciscan History 1977

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Woodward, C. Vann, Origins of the New South, 1877–1913 Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University, 1971), 124 Google Scholar; Hardy, Donald C., “The World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition,” (unpublished M.A. thesis, Tulane University, 1964), 86.Google Scholar In correcting for the hyperbolic tone of nineteenth century commercial rhetoric, such authors perhaps underestimate the importance of the expositions.

2 Secretaria de Fomento, Colonización, Industria, y Comercio, , Boletín de la exposición mexicana en la internacional de Paris, Vol. 2 (Mexico, 1888), 205.Google Scholar

3 Secretaria de Fomento, Colonización, Industria, y Comercio, , Memorias presentadas al congreso de la nación (México: Oficina Tipográfica de la Secretaria de Fomento, 1877), 529–531.Google Scholar

4 Villegas, Daniel Cosío (ed.) Historia moderna de México, Vol. VII, El Porfiriato: la vida económica, Part I (Mexico, Buenos Aires: Editorial Hermes, 1965), 407 Google Scholar; Godoy, José Francisco, México en Paris; reseña de la participación de la República Mexicana en la exposición universal de Paris en 1889 (México: Tipografía de A. E. Lopez, 1888), 97–99.Google Scholar

5 Godoy, , México en Paris, 65 Google Scholar; Secretaria de Fomento, Colonización, Industria, y Comercio, , Memorias (1877), 530 Google Scholar; Siglo Diez y Nueve, (Mexico City), September 10, 1884.

6 Prospectus of the Mexican International Exposition of industries and Fine Arts to be Opened in the City of Mexico, September 15, 1886 (n.p., n.d.), 13

7 de Mier, Sebastian B., México en la exposición universal internacional de Paris—1900 (Paris: Imprenta de J. Dumoulin, 1901), 3–10 Google Scholar; Secretaria de Fomento, Colonización, Industria, y Comercio, , Memorias, Vol. I (1887), 693.Google Scholar

8 “A country which presents a well-organized display,” reasoned Mariano Bárcena, Mexican commissioner to the New Orleans Exposition, “deserves the respect of the entire world.” de Fomento, Ministerio, Boletín, Vol. X (July 25, 1885), 268.Google Scholar

9 Villegas, Cosío, Historia Moderna, Vol. 7,Google Scholar El Porfiriato: la vida económica, Part II, 728–729; Cumberland, Charles C., Mexico: The Struggle for Modernity (London, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 1968), 229.Google Scholar

10 Bureau of the American Republics, The Monthly Bulletin, Vol. XIX (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1903), 448, 571: Mexican Financier (Mexico City), February 27, 1892.

11 Bureau of the American Republics, Monthly Bulletin, Vol. V (1897), 43–44.

12 Ibid., Vol. XIV (1903), 684; Vol. XV (1903), 1322.

13 Secretaria de Fomento, Colonización, y Industria, , Memorias, Vol. 4 (1887), 5.Google Scholar

14 Ibid., 562–564.

15 Commerical Bulletin, Price-Current and Shipping List (New Orleans), October 24, 1883; Times-Democrat (New Orleans), October 21, 1884; November 24, 1884.

16 Times-Democrat, September 24, 1884; December 28, 1884.

17 Ibid., December 22, 1884. The U.S. government sponsored Mexico, Central and South American Commission, for example, conducted “sittings” at the first New Orleans exposition on the problems of tariffs, consular service and international railroad development.

18 Times-Democrat, September 22, 1884; September 23, 1884; Secretaria de Fomento, Colonización, Industria y Comercio, Boletín de la exposición, Vol. II (1888), 149.

19 Fairall, Herbert S., The World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, New Orleans, 1884–1885 (Iowa City: Republican Publishing Company, 1885), 388.Google Scholar

20 Nixon, Richard, “An Exposition of the Three Americas,” Century Magazine, Vol. 31:1 (November, 1885), 153.Google Scholar

21 Times-Democrat, September 29, 1884; Francis, David R., The Universal Exposition of 1904(St. Louis: Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company, 1913), 215 Google Scholar; Godoy, José Francisco, Porfirio Díaz: President of Mexico, the Master Builder of a Great Commonwealth (New York and London: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1910), 39–57.Google Scholar Godoy himself was recruited for exposition work.

22 El Municipio Libre: Periodico Dedicado a los Asuntos Municipales de Mexico (Mexico City), December 6, 1892.

23 Secretaria de Fomento, Colonización, Industria, y Comercio, , Boletín de la exposición, Vol. 1 (1888), 123–125.Google Scholar

24 Bureau of the American Republics Bulletin, Vol. Χ (1901), 629; El Impartial: Diario de la Mañana (Mexico City), June 29, 1903.

25 Godoy, , México en Paris, 48–50, 149–157.Google Scholar

26 Times-Democrat, September 29, 1884.

27 de Fomento, Secretaria, Colonización, , Industria, y Comercio, , Boletín de la exposición, Vol. 11(1888), 156–157, 186 Google Scholar; Prospectus ofthe Mexican International Exposition, 9–11. Another company offered a special tour to Mexico with a stop en route at the cotton exposition. Richmond, & Railroad, Danville, Airline, Piedmont, Our Great All-Around Tour for the Winter of ’84–’85 (New York: Leve, Alden Company, n.d.), 28 Google Scholar; Mexican Herald (Mexico City), September 2, 1904.

28 Times-Democrat, September 1, 1885.

29 Hearn, Lafcadio, “The New Orleans Exposition,” Harpers Weekly, A Journal of Civilization, 29 (January 3, 1885), 14.Google Scholar

30 Smalley, Eugene V., “The New Orleans Exposition,” Century Magazine, 30 (May, 1885), 7 Google Scholar; Hearn, Lafcadio, “Mexico at New Orleans,” Harpers Weekly, A Journal of Civilization, 29 (March 14, 1885), 167.Google Scholar

31 Times-Democrat, December 17, 1884.

32 Ibid., September 12, 1885.

33 Fairall, , Centennial Exposition, 392.Google Scholar

34 El Municipio Libre, October 7, 1893.

35 de Fomento, Ministerio, Boletín, Vol. 9 (April 2, 1884), 155.Google Scholar

36 Secretaria de Fomento, Colonización, Industria y Comercio, Memorias, Vol. I (1887), 692.

37 de Fomento, Ministerio, Boletín, Vol. 7 (October 23, 1882), 259.Google Scholar Even commercial exhibits often had a spectacular aspect. The main feature of the New Orleans mining display was a five thousand pound model of Popocatepetl fashioned from pure silver. Times-Democrat, December 18, 1884.

38 Reglamento formado por la comisión mexicana de la exposición nacional y de la internacional de Filadelfia (Mexico: Imprenta de Díaz de León y White, 1875), 17; Mancera, C. Gabriel, Informes que el C. Gabriel Mancera, comisionado especial de la junta de exposiciones en los Estados Unidos de Norte América y miembros de ella rinde sobre el desempeño de su encargo (Mexico: Imprenta del Comercio de Dublan y Co., 1895), 16 Google Scholar

39 El Municipio Libre, July 11, 1893 ; Clasificación y enumeración de los objetos que conforme al reglamento de la comisión deben presentarse (México, 1884), 36; Mexican Herald, July 8, 1904.

40 de Fomento, Ministerio, Boletín, Vol. 10 (July 25, 1885), 268.Google Scholar

41 Godoy, , México en Paris, 98 Google Scholar; Clasificación y enumeración, 6–7. Tobacco products were also sold in this fashion.

42 Times-Democrat, September 2, 1885; The World’s Exposition Catalogue and Guide (New Orleans: Crescent News Company, 1885), 60.

43 Mier, , México en la expositión, 182–187.Google Scholar

44 Exploradora, Comisión Geográfica, Catálogo de los objectos que componen el contingente de la comisión, precídido de algunas notas sobre su organización y trabajos (Jalapa: Tipografía de la comisión geográfico-exploradora, 1893).Google Scholar

45 Comisión Nacional de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos para la Exposición Pan-Americana de Buffalo, Ν.Y., Official Catalogue of the Mexican Exhibits at the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo, Ν. Y., U.S.A. May First to November First, 1901 (Buffalo: The White-Evans-Penfold Company, 1901), 61. Ramírez, Santiago, Noticia histórica de la riqueza minera de México y su estado de explotación (México: Oficina Tipográfica de la Secretaría de Fomento, 1884)Google Scholar, in constrast, is a straightforward evaluation of Mexican mining potential. The content of similar appeals by U.S. promoters operating in Mexico is skillfully examined by Pletcher, David M., Rails, Mines and Progress: Seven American Promoters in Mexico, 1867–1911 (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University, 1958), especially 296–311.Google Scholar

46 Representative tracts include Arizpe, Rafael R., Estadística de las aplicaciones de la electricidad en la República Mexicana (México: Tipografía y Litografía de J. Aguilar Vera y Compañía, 1900)Google Scholar; Mallén, Bernardo, México ayer y hoy, 1876–1904 (Mexico: Tipografía Müller Hnos., 1904)Google Scholar; Ruíz, Alberto y Sandoval, , El algodón en México (México: Oficina Tipográfica de la Secretaria de Fomento, 1884)Google Scholar; Zentella, Arcadie, Catálogo de los productos agrícolas e industriales que el gobierno del estado de Tabasco envia a la exposición de San Louis Missouri, que se clebrará el año de 1904 (Mexico: La Universal, 1903)Google Scholar; Catálogo de las frutas, raices y tubérculos que se producen el estado de Michoacán de Ocampo (Morella: Imprenta del gobierno en la escuela de artes, 1893); and Reseña relativa al estado de Hidalgo que la junta corresponsal del mismo remite a la exposición universal de Nueva Orleans, 1884–1885 (Pachuca: Imprenta del Gobierno del Estado, 1884).

47 Sellerier, Carlos, Data Referring to Mexican Mining Prepared in View of the Participation of Mexico in the Universal Exposition of Paris in 1900 (Mexico: F. P. Hoeck Co., 1901), 28 Google Scholar; Gostkowski, G., Exposition universelle internationale de 1900: Au Mexique, etudes, notes et renseignements utiles au capitaliste, a l’imigrant et au touriste (Paris: Maurice de Brunoff, n.d.), 184–186.Google Scholar

48 Trans, . Thompson, William (Mexico: Typographical Office of the Department of Fomento, Colonization and Industry, 1893).Google Scholar

49 Segura, José C. and Cordero, Manuel D., Reseña sobre el cultivo de algunos plantas industriales que se explotan o son suceptibles de explotarse en la república (Mexico: Oficina Tipográfica de la Secretaria de Fomento, 1884).CrossRefGoogle Scholar

50 Mier, , México en la exposición, 8.Google Scholar

51 El Impartial (Mexico City), January 26, 1903.

52 Times-Democrat, February 18, 1885.

53 Ibid., February 16, 1885.

54 Mier, , México en la expositión, 154–162.Google Scholar

55 Godoy, , Porfirio Díaz, 57.Google Scholar

56 Times-Democrat, Exposition Edition, n.d. [November, 1884].

57 One Mexican mining baron was reported to have chartered an entire train to the St. Louis exposition. Mexican Herald, July 30, 1904.

58 Estadísticas económicas del Porfiriato: Comercio exterior de México, 1877–1911 (México: El Colegio de Mexico, 1960), 78.

59 Mosk, Sanford A., “Latin America and the World Economy, 1850–1914,” Journal of Inter-American Economie Affairs; 2:3 (Winter, 1948), 63.Google Scholar

60 Nixon, , “An Exposition,” 152.Google Scholar

61 Mier, , México en la expositión, 8.Google Scholar