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Québec: French Culture, First Nations & Folk Music

Expo 67: Vive le Québec Libre!

The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, also known as Expo 67, was a major exhibition that took place in Montréal, Canada. The event spanned around six months and attracted almost fifty-five million visitors, the most attendees for a world fair at the time. The fair occurred during Canada’s centennial year, a representation of the progress and advancement that the country had made since 1867. The proposal was originally met with hesitation, however, Jean Drapeau, Montréal’s former mayor, was persistent about its execution. The process leading up to the exhibition was riddled with obstacles. Although as the date neared, the planning committee successfully produced a cohesive theme: “Man and his World.” Some of the various sub-themes included “Man the Creator”, “Man the Explorer”, “Man and the Community”, “Man the Producer”, and “Man the Provider.” The principle theme was based upon the book Terre des Hommes by renowned author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

President of France Charles de Gaulle became the first French head of state to visit Québec when he attended Expo 67. His now-famous speech made to over 100,000 people had a serious impact on the burgeoning sovereignty movement among French Canadians. When he declared Vive le Québec libre! (Long live free Québec) the sentiment resonated among the francophone population and further motivated reforms to recognize the French-speaking population.

The exhibition took place on Île Saint-Hélène, Cité du Havre, and Île Notre-Dame. The latter is an artificial island that was erected for the fair. Each participating country built its own pavilion with a total of ninety. The most visited pavilions were those of the Soviet Union, Canada, France, the United States, and Czechoslovakia. Some of the most iconic constructions that still stand from the exhibition include the Montréal Biosphere (i.e., the former American pavilion); Habitat 67, a themed housing complex; and two sections of the current-day Montréal Casino (i.e., the former French pavilion). Many of these buildings have been used for different purposes since the end of the exhibition. For example, Habitat 67 is lived-in currently by private citizens. The Montréal Biosphere is now a museum (as of 1995) that is dedicated to environmental science. More information on L'Exposition Universalle de Montréal is available from the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales. External

The following photographs were taken by celebrated photographer, Bernard Gotfryd, during the exhibition. Gotfryd was a survivor of the Holocaust who decided to move to New York City upon turning twenty-one years old. After immigrating to the United States, he joined the U.S. Army to become a combat photographer. Following his extensive time working at Newsweek, he furthered his career as a photographer. His photography collection of Expo 67 is only one of the several collections that he provided to the Library of Congress; notably, he designated his copyright to expire after his death, so the images are free to use. His collections range from art to famous personalities. His photographs are noted for their straightforwardness, simplicity, and representation of ordinary people.

Bernard Gotfyrd, photographer. La Ronde, Montréal Expo [Expo 67, Montréal, Québec]. 1967. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Bernard Gotfryd, photographer. Montreal Expo [Expo 67, Montréal, Québec]. 1967. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Bernard Gotfryd, photographer. Montréal, Expo [Expo 67, Montréal, Québec]. 1967. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Bernard Gotfryd, photographer. [Expo 67, La Ronde, Montréal, Quebec]. 1967. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Bernard Gotfryd, photographer. [Expo 67, Montréal, Québec]. 1967. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Bernard Gotfryd, photographer. [Expo 67, Montréal, Québec]. 1967. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Bernard Gotfryd, photographer. [Expo 67, Montréal, Québec]. 1967. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Bernard Gotfryd, photographer. [Expo 67, Montréal, Québec]. 1967. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Bernard Gotfryd, photographer. [Expo 67, Montréal, Québec]. 1967. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Bertrand Gotfryd, photographer. [Expo 67, Montréal, Québec]. 1967. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Bernard Gotfryd, photographer. [Expo 67, Montréal, Québec]. 1967. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Bernard Gotfryd, photographer. [Expo 67, Montréal, Québec]. 1967. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Bernard Gotfryd, photographer. [Expo 67, Montréal, Québec]. 1967. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Bernard Gotfryd, photographer. [Expo 67, Montréal, Québec]. 1967. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Bernard Gotfryd, photographer. [Expo 67, Montréal, Québec]. 1967. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.