'This Little City': Constructed Colonialism at the 1922 Colonial Exposition of Marseille
Ranshous, Allison
This paper explores the intersection of race and French colonial policy at the 1922 National Colonial Exposition of Marseille, which occurred in the midst of Europe's "exposition fever," during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. I posit that the Exposition introduced the paradox of formal, constructed colonial exhibits that were posed against the backdrop of a thriving French city reaping the economic benefits of its colonial exploitation. I also address the question of whether or not native colonial workers, artists, and artisans could be considered truly "modern" if they were continually provincialized and racialized by French colonialists during the event. In my conclusion I argue that further study of this unique colonial narrative can shed light on questions of modernity and representation in the microcosm of the Exposition.
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