Et sant og levende bilde av verden; Verdensutstillinger og museumshistorie

A true and vividpicture of the world; world exhibitions and museum history Norwegian participarion in Internarional Exhibirions, World Fairs and Expositions Universelles in the last century and its potential relationship to museum history is the subject of this paper. It starts with a juxtaposition of EXP0'98 in Lisbon and the international exhibitions that were arranged in the last century. The juxtaposition highlights how the cultural effects of ideas are transmitted by international exhibitions and how the rationale for such events has changed since the 19th century. This comparison serves as a background for a discussion of the exhibitions of the last century in museological terms. It is argued that there are good reasons for a comparison and for viewing the international exhibitions in the light of the development of museums and museum practice.