"Louisiana World Exposition" 1984 by St. Germain Signed and Dated 12 1/2 X 33

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"Louisiana World Exposition" 1984 by St. Germain Signed and Dated 12 1/2 X 33:
$25.00

""Louisiana World Exposition"Signed By: St. Germain

Signed and Dated 10/9/84

Rare Print!

Will Look Great Framed!!

Overall Size:12 1/2 X 33

Sales for 155.00 New!

The1984 Louisiana World Expositionwas aWorld's Fairheld inNew Orleans,Louisiana, in the United States. It was held 100 years after the city's earlier World's Fair, theWorld Cotton Centennialin 1884. It opened on Saturday, May 12, 1984, and ended on Sunday, November 11, 1984.[1]Its theme was "The World of Rivers—Fresh Waters as a Source of Life".

Plagued with attendance problems, the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition has the distinction of being the only exposition to declarebankruptcyduring its run.[2]Many blamed the low attendance on the fact that it was staged just two years and two states fromKnoxville's1982 World's Fair,[2]and because it coincided with the1984 Summer OlympicsinLos Angeles. Others may believe that the 1982 opening ofWalt Disney World'sEpcot Centermay have also drawn more people toOrlando,Florida.

There has not been a World's Fair in the United States since the exposition in New Orleans.

An 84-acre (340,000m2) site along the Mississippi River was cleared of rundown warehouses, replaced by the structures of the Fair. This was to be a "Class B" exposition as defined by theBureau of International Expositions, the international body governing world's fairs. There were no major exhibits such as had been seen at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair, which started predictions that the fair could be a flop. Although 7 million guests[2]toured the fair, it was not enough to recoup the $350 million spent to host the event. Paychecks started bouncing, and it was only through government intervention that the gates remained open through the scheduled run. The fair drew 30,000 less people in the first month than was predicted.[3]

The state of Louisiana spent $5 million on the fair; that amount was overseen byRalph Perlman, the state budget director, who tried to obtain maximum use of the funds.[4]

Despite its problems, the fair is fondly remembered by many New Orleans residents, particularly for its noteworthy post-modern architecture, such as the groundbreaking Wonderwall designed by noted architectCharles Willard Mooreand his partnerWilliam Turnbull.

One of the fair's more famous attractions was theMississippi Aerial River Transit(MART). This was agondola liftthat took visitors across theMississippi Riverfrom the fair site in the Warehouse District to Algiers on the West Bank. Also on display was thespace shuttleEnterprise.[5]

The Fair was held along theMississippi Riverfront near theNew Orleans Central Business District, on a site that was formerly arailroadyard. While the Fair itself was a financial failure, several old warehouses were renovated for the fair, which helped to revitalize the adjacent Old Warehouse District. TheRiverwalk Marketplaceand Building 1 of theErnest N. Morial Convention Centerare structures originally built for the fair. Most other structures and the MART were demolished after the fair closed. After the closing of 1984 Louisiana World Exposition, the monorails were moved to Florida and re-used atZoo Miami.[6]

The insolvency of the 1984 World's Fair owner, Louisiana World Exposition, Inc., caused some subcontractors involved in the construction of the fair to sue the general contractor for payment of contract prices. Southern States Masonry, Inc. v. J.A. Jones Const. Co., 507 So.2d 198 (La. 1987). Even though there was a clause in the contract stating the subcontractors would be paid on the final payment by the owner to the general contractor, the payment provision did not constitute a suspensive condition that negated any obligation on the part of the general contractor until they were paid by the owner. The important issue was that the contract stated payment would occur "when" the general contractor was paid, not "if" they were paid.