Padiglione Rai - Radiotelevisione Italiana alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1963 (12/04/1963 - 25/04/1963) by Non identificatoFondazione Fiera Milano
For the 29th Milan Fair, the chairman of the Fair Board, Luigi Gasparotto, invited the Italian President Luigi Einaudi to assist at the inauguration for a second time.
Padiglione Rai alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1965 (14/04/1965 - 25/04/1965) by Non identificatoFondazione Fiera Milano
Attracting 26 nations, 700 exhibitors, and 9000 visitors, once again this year the fair was experienced by the public as a great stage transforming all the latest industrial products and machines into wonders of discovery.
April 18th, 1951
The year 1951 was also marked by the signing of the Treaty of Paris, when on April 18th, diplomats representing Belgium, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands—the founding members of the future European Union—met in Paris
to establish the European Coal and Steel Community. The treaty was an extraordinary first step in the pooling of sovereignty, with many of its objectives still part of the European treaties in force today, sewing one of the seeds that would later grow into the European Union.
July 14th, 1951
The racing car driver José Froilán González set the fastest lap time on the Silverstone circuit in England, going on to win the first Formula 1 Grand Prix for Ferrari in its history.
January 29th, 1951
“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Sanremo Casino for an exceptional night organized by RAI—a song night, featuring the Cinico Angelini orchestra. We will be awarding, from the 240 compositions entered by just as many Italian songwriters, the greatest song of
the year.”
With these words, Nunzio Filogamo opened the first ever Sanremo Music Festival, held at the city’s casino, inaugurating a show that would go on to inspire the Eurovision Song Contest.
Padiglione Rai alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1966 Padiglione Rai alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1966 (14/04/1966 - 25/04/1966) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano
Ever since, the Festival has continued to host many of the biggest names on the Italian music scene every year, marking an annual moment when the country stops for a collective ritual, bringing people together around music.
April 18th, 1951
The year 1951 was also marked by the signing of the Treaty of Paris, when on April 18th, diplomats representing Belgium, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands—the founding members of the future European Union—
met in Paris
to establish the European Coal and Steel Community. The treaty was an extraordinary first step in the pooling of sovereignty, with many of its objectives still part of the European treaties in force today, sewing one of the seeds that would later grow into the European Union.
The Sixties
From The Beatles to the Fiat 500, the miniskirt to Carosello, the 1960s was a revolutionary decade, as new fashions and trends emerged on the scene. Numerous social, political, and cultural events would profoundly shape the values, aspirations, and lifestyles of new generations.
Interno del padiglione apparecchi e strumenti musicali alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1960 (post 1960/04/12 - ante 1960/04/27) by Ancillotti & MartinottiFondazione Fiera Milano
As young people sought out new means of self-expression and manufacturers sought to ride the wave of technological progress, humankind as a whole was soon to witness the dawning of a space age that would shape world history.
Stazione di Amendola Fiera della linea M1 della metropolitana di Milano Stazione di Amendola Fiera della linea M1 della metropolitana di Milano (12/04/1963 - 25/04/1963) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano
In Italy, the 1960s was the decade of generational blossoming and the economic miracle—a social, cultural, and business explosion that transformed the country into a major industrial power of the age.
Stand della ditta Rheem Safim alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1963 (12/04/1963 - 25/04/1963) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano
In next to no time, urban centres such as Milan and Rome became major metropolises, Italian lifestyles changed, and new consumption patterns emerged.
Made in Italy
The “Made In Italy” trademark emerged around the turn of the 1960s to become a global catchphrase for premium quality and style, capturing in the collective imagination the value of Italian know-how and taste.
Its roots lie in the development of the country’s family-owned small and medium enterprises, which thanks to new means of production successfully managed to transform small craft workshops into major business concerns.
Interno del padiglione dell'agricoltura alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1966 Interno del padiglione dell'agricoltura alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1966 (14/04/1966 - 25/04/1966) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano
As a world stage for pioneering advances and innovation, the Milan Fair quickly became the most well-known and prestigious showcase of Made in Italy manufacturing.
The new Fiat 500, more than just a set of wheels
The automobile undeniably stands out as a hallmark of the Italian economic miracle, the status symbol of a new era. Thanks to its affordable price, the Fiat 500 was the first car bought by millions of people, a symbol of practicality, efficiency, and style.
Servizio rapido di stampa alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1963 Servizio rapido di stampa alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1963 (12/04/1963 - 25/04/1963) by Non identificatoFondazione Fiera Milano
It was these characteristics that would lead the car’s designer, Dante Giacosa, to win the Compasso d’Oro industrial design award in 1959
Servizio fotografico pubblicitario Fiat 600 Servizio fotografico pubblicitario Fiat 600 (1956) by Non identificatoFondazione Fiera Milano
for designing “a typical example, in the automotive sector, of a model spawned by the close integration of the mass production techniques belonging to the mechanical engineering industry and the specific economies of scale required to produce a car for the wider public.”
“Carosello and then off to bed!”
Carosello changed the course of advertising history. As the first television show dedicated to product promotions, its innovative, entertaining format quickly distinguished it from the American standard, by not rudely interrupting broadcasts.
Stand Atlantic Electric alla Mostra Nazionale Radio e Televisione alla Fiera di Milano nel 1964 Stand Atlantic Electric alla Mostra Nazionale Radio e Televisione alla Fiera di Milano nel 1964 (12/09/1964 - 20/09/1964) by Non identificatoFondazione Fiera Milano
Airing short sketches on television at set time slots, storytelling fun was the key to the show, featuring characters—such as Lavazza’s celebrated Carmencita and her Caballero—that in many cases would become more famous than the brands themselves.
L’intrattenimento e lo spettacolo erano alla base delle brevi storie che venivano trasmesse in televisione a orari prestabiliti, e spesso i loro personaggi — tra cui i famosi Caballero e Carmencita di Lavazza — sono diventati più noti del marchio stesso.
Milan Furniture Fair
In 1961, the inspired efforts of a small group of furniture makers led to the staging of the first Milan Furniture Fair, still today the leading annual event for the world of furniture and industrial design.
Conceived with the aim of promoting exports, the fair soon proved an excellent way to unlock the full potential of an industry that was still highly fragmented.
Veduta dalla fontana di Largo XIII della Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1961 (12/04/1961 - 27/04/1961) by Non identificatoFondazione Fiera Milano
La prima edizione del Salone del Mobile si tenne alla Fiera di Milano ed ebbe un enorme successo: nel 1994 è stato dichiarato il primo salone al mondo, con 328 partecipanti e 12.100 visitatori.
Stand Home al Salone del Mobile Italiano alla Fiera di Milano nel 1962 Stand Home al Salone del Mobile Italiano alla Fiera di Milano nel 1962 (23/09/1962 - 30/09/1962) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano
Apollo 11 at the Fair
The Milan Fair was a stage for some two-thirds of the inventions patented in the post-war era. Year after year, the showcase featured stands and pavilions of awe-inspiring impact that would go down in living memory.
One such exhibition was set up by RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana when it displayed samples of lunar rocks collected by the Apollo 11 astronauts, their space suits, and some of their equipment.
Prototipo di cabina spaziale alla Mostra "L'uomo dello spazio" (09/06/1962 - 17/06/1962) by PublifotoFondazione Fiera Milano
L’avvenimento suscitò grande emozione tra il pubblico, perché in quei giorni il mondo intero stava assistendo alle difficoltà tecniche della missione Apollo XIII.
January 10th, 1971: Farewell Coco Chanel
In the afternoon of January 10th, 1971, the whole world stopped to say farewell to one of the greatest style icons of the twentieth century. Coco Chanel, the daring fashion designer who revolutionized the female silhouette, passed away at the Hotel Ritz in Paris at the age of 88.
Her passing, however, did not mark the end of an era, as Chanel would become the embodiment itself of French fashion, as well as a symbol of a certain outlook on the world.
October 8th, 1971: “Imagine” is released
Imagine there’s no heaven / It’s easy if you try / No hell below us / Above us, only sky. So begins Imagine, arguably the most memorable song of John Lennon’s solo career, after his rise to fame with The Beatles—indeed, Rolling Stone magazine ranks it third in its definitive list
Aiuole fiorite alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1964 (12/04/1964 - 25/04/1964) by Non identificatoFondazione Fiera Milano
A single that reminds us, in the words of Yoko Ono, “that we are all one world, one country, one people,” becoming the anthem not only of their generation, but of all those to come.
Veduta di piazzale caccia e pesca alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1963 (1960 - 1970) by Non identificatoFondazione Fiera Milano
The history of the second half of the twentieth century was marked by rapid, constant transformation.
Visitatori alle biglietterie dell'entrata di porta Domodossola alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1932 (post 1932/04/12 - ante 1932/04/27) by Non identificatoFondazione Fiera Milano
Looking back from afar at the two decades that separate 1951 from 1971, the steady pace at which the world revolves around its axis contrasts starkly with the dizzying speed of change sweeping the society of the time.
Interno del padiglione Fiat alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1967 Interno del padiglione Fiat alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1967 (14/04/1967 - 25/04/1967) by Non identificatoFondazione Fiera Milano
The Milan Fair was part of that bustling movement, reflecting the changes of society, but also the bigger collective challenges of innovation and competition.
While firmly attached to the civic context of Milan where it took root, the fair increasingly opened its doors to the world, thus becoming a reliable, concrete fulcrum in the relentless quest for prosperity that shaped the post-war years until the oil crisis of the Seventies.
This virtual path has been created in collaboration with Promemoria Group.
www.promemoriagroup.com
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Fondazione Fiera Milano Historical Archive:
archiviostorico.fondazionefiera.it
