World Fair - Brussels 1958
| I took this photo with a 116 bellows camera. I'm not sure if you can still buy film for such an antiquity. It did give good definition when you finally mastered the camerashake. |
Brussels was host to the World Fair in 1958, fittingly the year when the Common Market was established. The authorities constructed an enormous replica of a "a crystal molecule of metal" with exhibitions in each of the balls and a restaurant on top.
There were many interesting angles to the occasion. For example, The Holy See [Vatican City] had a exhibition area where I met Fr. Payton, the Rosary Priest, from Mayo. He made quite an impression. The Vatican struck a special medal to commemorate its participation in the event.
SNCF [French Railways] were exhibiting a new idea in comfort for the urban traveller - tyres for the metro carriages.
I reported the Fair at the time for the Shanganagh Valley News , which I was editing. In my ignorance I confused Stalin with Lenin and more's the wonder that the Berlin Wall didn't fall down with fright at that time. But then, it wasn't built until three years later !
Transport around the vast area [200 hectares] was by rickshaw and it was through this that I learnt the distinction between the two french words for "free" : "libre" which meant the rickshaw taxi was free for hire, but not "gratuit" which would have meant free of charge. Ouch!