ABSTRACT
The International Exhibition of Arts and Techniques in Modern Life of 1937 (Exposition internationale des arts et techniques dans la vie moderne) was the last major exhibition to be held in Paris before World War II. In the international context of confrontation between totalitarianism and democracies, the goal of the exhibition was to demonstrate that art and technology are not opposed but linked, and that their union should promote peace. From 25 May to 25 November 1937 it welcomed more than 31 million visitors who could discover new Parisian monuments such as the Palais de Chaillot or the Museum of Modern Art, and the striking face-to-face pavilions of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. For the first time in such an exhibition, gastronomy was a special section of the group XII, Transports and Leisure, called ‘Classe 69D’, as in previous exhibitions restaurants had never been grouped together in a special gastronomy section. This was done to better highlight the importance of gastronomy in general and of regional cuisine in particular. It was located in the Regional Centre, a series of constructions built along the Seine to present the activities and outputs of the provinces of France. Restaurants served regional cuisine, and tasting counters offered regional and local productions and specialties.
