Colonial / Imperial exhibitions in France and Britain (including human zoos)

Résumé du document

The colonial exhibitions were organized during the new imperialism period, approximately between 1870 and 1935. During this period, Britain, France and Germany fought for new territories and practically colonized the entire world. But at this time, people didn't care so much about colonial problems. Politicians decided to organize some events to justify economically, morally and historically the Western domination. The well known exhibitions were the British Empire Exhibition in 1924 and the international exhibition of Paris (Vincennes) in 1931. But there were plenty of them in cities and countries. In most of them, it was possible to discover indigenous objects, arts, building and traditions. The question about the treatment of native people in countries, which defend human rights and equality, is extremely problematic. The term "human zoo" appeared with the book Human zoos written by several French historians in 2002. How and why former politicians decided to organize this kind of events? Which impacts on the population did they have? How can we interpret the human zoo phenomenon? These are some questions that we will analyze in this article.

Extraits

[...] Trans: These exhibitions had a great influence on the popular opinion. For instance, the watch of human zoos is one of the first explanations of the emergence of racism. III. Perceptions and opinions of the populations 1. Popular imagination Politicians wanted that French and British people remember that they belong to a huge colonial empire: Chamberlain declared in 1895 that people needed to “learn to think imperially”. After successive exhibitions, the colonial spirit has seeped into masses. Beside these exhibitions, the inferiority of indigenous people was taught at school. [...]

[...] Also the Marseilles 1922 Colonial exhibition attracts many visitors. But the two greatest exhibitions took place respectively in Wembley in 1924 and in Paris in 1931 and showed the different cultures of an French empire of 12 millions and 70 millions of inhabitants and of a British empire of 458 million people and covered more than 33 millions The last one is maybe not the most important events but after the 1960's, it became a kind of myth or a representation of everything linked to colonialism. [...]

[...] Ideologies Behind the different exhibitions and their activities, spectacles and human zoos, there were several ideologies linked to colonialism. - The first one was the hierarchy of races, which became dominant. Scientists developed this theory based essentially on physical differences. The exhibitions were justified at the beginning as a practical tool to show the new discoveries. It was easy for the scientists to observe some indigenous people who were showed in fairs and exhibitions. They affirmed that it is scientifically proved that the white race was superior and that they have to colonise the others: Like Paul Broca, a French doctor, who wanted to prove the difference. [...]

[...] Time and Space Travels at British Imperial Exhibitions, 1880-1930', in The Making of Modern Tourism. The Cultural History of the British Experience, 1600-2000, eds. Hartmut Berghoff et al, New York/Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan pp. 223-48. - Hodeir Catherine et Pierre Michel, L'Exposition coloniale, Paris 1931, Paris-Bruxelles, Éditions Complexe - Lindfors Bernth, Africa on Stage. Studies in Ethnological show business, Indiana University Press - Teyssier Arnaud, Lyautey : Le ciel et les sables sont grands, Perrin Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man, New York, Appleton, éd p. [...]

[...] The behaviour of some persons who visited zoos reflects what the general feeling about this situation was: they throw to the colonized people some foods and they compared them to primates. In some cases, they rejected the human nature of this person. Only few personalities and politicians protested against this treatment but for the majority it was normal that some races are less important than others. This is due to the influence of the exhibitions and particularly of human zoos. [...]