A mural featuring stylized Aboriginal rock paintings adorned the outside of the pavilion. Inside, the exhibits were dedicated to "The Natural Order," "Man's Impact On Nature" and "Life Cycle of a Nation." On the main floor were photos by famed Australian journalist Frank Hurley, a sculpture representing man, woman and child and stuffed wildlife specimens from the Australian Museum in Sydney. A revolving circular room displayed 640 slides featuring scenes of Australian life and simulated a swim by the Great Barrier Reef. As visitors rode the escalators to the second floor, they saw a eucalyptus garden in front of the Spokane River. On the second floor, large photos of slums, dying trees and other problems in Australia demonstrated "Man's Impact On Nature." A scale model of the Sydney Opera House was also on the top floor.
Cannon Island was renamed "Canada Island" for the fair, because the island itself was the Canadian Pavilion! It was landscaped to simulate the beauty of Canada—but with a kids' playground of giant animals (made from recycled materials) added. Also on Canada Island were smaller pavilions from the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.
This fan-shaped building featured three sections devoted to the theme, "Ethics, Democracy, Science." If you entered left, there was a fashion show with costumes from Chinese history. To the right and in the center, there were pictures and exhibits showing the Chinese (well, Taiwanese) way of life. A multimedia show in "Electrovision" combined slide and movie projectors for a presentation featuring philosophy, culture, history and art, as well as air pollution and industrial waste. With a 180-degree screen, plus rear-projection elements that seemed to put the visitor in the show, this exhibit became very popular.
The first thing visitors saw was a 120 foot long wall, which was a projection screen for slides of German landscapes. Photos with similar scenes were mounted on wooden cubes in the front part of the exhibit. A theatre showed an 18-minute film on coal strip mining in the Ruhr Valley and how the West German government was trying to restore the land. West Germany shared the International Pavilion with the Philippines.
"The Great Harmony," "Art and Beauty as Man's Natural Environment," "The Protection of Iran's Natural Environment" and "Man—Creator of Beauty" were the four parts of the Iranian pavilion. In the first part, you could visit the tomb of Cyrus the Great and learn about the building of the Iranian Empire. Part two was a collage of the palace of Perseopolis and ancient bronzes, statues and other artworks. More ancient relics and a map showing the 34 protected areas of Iran made up the third section of the pavilion. The final part was the most popular—a three-dimensional puppet show telling of man's many beautiful creations.
The centerpiece of Japan's pavilion was an 11,000-square foot Japanese garden with a stream, pool and stone garden. The first thing visitors saw inside the main pavilion was a huge plywood map of Japan—part of the "Geographical Introduction to Japan." The map emphasized that Japan was larger than Washington and Oregon combined. Part two of the pavilion was "Introduction to the Japanese Way of Life" and featured a full-size Japanese house. There were also scale models of a typical Japanese apartment and ikebana (traditional Japanese flower arranging). The third exhibit used models, charts and graphic photos to show Japan's environmental problems and how the people were dealing with them. The final part of the exhibit showed photos and objects of the Japanese at play. A three-screen movie theatre showed a 15-minute film on the life of Japanese people and their environment.
The South Korean Pavilion was divided into three areas: "Sound of Nature," "Sight of Nature" and "Taste of Nature." As you entered, you heard hundreds of wind chimes. There was also a gong you could ring to announce your arrival. This was followed by Korean music, people speaking and bird songs, as well as water and wind. The second part of the exhibit featured photographs of Korean life on the walls and ceiling. The final part was an indoor restaurant and outdoor barbecue pit, which served Korean food. The indoor section of the restaurant included a theatre for ethnic dances. On their way out, visitors were given a free cassette tape of the sounds of Korea. The designer of the pavilion, Kim Swoo Keum also created the Korean pavilions at the Osaka and Montreal world's fairs.
 Me, Mrs. Erickson, John and Karl between Plaza Mexicana and the Chinese pavilion. The A & W Sky Float is seen overhead. |
Plaza Mexicana wasn't exactly a national pavilion. After the Mexican government decided to withdraw from Expo '74, fair organizers flew to Mexico City in an attempt to get them to reconsider. As a compromise, they came with a store featuring Mexican goods with a mariachi band. The original exhibit was to feature pre-Columbian artifacts and Ballet Folklorico.
The first part of the exhibit featured photos of Filipino people, landscapes and the environment. The second part, "Man and Nature: A Unity of Design," consisted more slides of landscapes, customs—and, in keeping with the theme of the fair—environment problems. Information on trade and tourism was also available. The third part of the exhibit, "Man and Industry: A Unity of Design," was showed slides of products by 100 companies which contributed to the pavilion. Toys, games, food, cigars, marble and leather were also on display. Cultural events in and around the Philippine Pavilion included a river parade, native dances and band playing all-bamboo instruments.
The Soviet pavilion was the second-largest at the fair. Outside, fair goers were greeted by a 60-foot by 30-foot aluminum relief map of the U.S.S.R. Immediately inside the pavilion was a giant golden metal sun mounted on the ceiling and a large bust of Lenin. Ramps led to three theatres showing films about Soviet environmental problems and stressing international cooperation in cleaning up the Earth. Models of Soviet cities (lit in such a way that you seemed to be flying over them), native plants, ancient sculptures and manuscripts, as well as modern paintings were also on display. One of the most striking features was a giant globe, surrounded by the flags of all nations. A Russian restaurant facing the Spokane River and surrounded by murals rounded out the main floor.
The U.S. pavilion was the largest and most recognizable of the fair. The theme was "Man and Nature: One and Indivisible. The pavilion was a sort of tent, with a 150-foot steel mast at the center, surrounded by more than four miles of steel cables and covered with 100,000 square feet of translucent fabric. Grassy mounds surrounded the outside, so that the pavilion seemed to grow out of the ground. The quote, "The Earth does not belong to Man, Man belongs to the Earth" (attributed to Chief Seattle) was written in large letters on the outside wall. Inside the pavilion, visitors watched Man Belongs to the Earth—a 23-minute IMAX film made for Expo by Paramount. Scenes of U.S. splendor led into environmental problems including air pollution in Denver. The film was so realistic—especially during a sequence flying through the Grand Canyon—that motion sickness bags had to be made available. Chief Dan George's plea to clean up the land was probably the most memorable moment of the movie. The second part of the pavilion was a courtyard with displays demonstrating how environmental problems affected a typical U.S. family of four, plus exhibits which used television, photos and graphs to educate visitors about radiation, over-population and other topics. Totem poles symbolized man's cultural contribution to nature. The final part of the U.S. Pavilion—the Federal Action Center—was made of concrete and was mostly underground (simulating the natual feel of a bunker). Visitors helped the government make policy decisions on seven key environmental issues.
