This reference book contains over 90 essays by more than 60 authors, each dealing with a world's fair or international exposition held between 1851 and 1988. Many of these authors have written monographs or dissertations on fairs, while other essays were prepared by scholars with expertise in the social and cultural milieu in which the fair was held. In addition to emphasizing the most significant features of a particular fair, each author provides basic statistical information and an annotated bibliography indicating, where possible, the location of primary sources and the quality of secondary sources about that fair. The book also contains several appendices dealing with the Bureau of International Expositions, the governing body of fairs, fair officials and statistics, fairs that could not be included, fairs that never were, and future expositions. An annotated bibliography provides additional information on general and thematic works and special archival collections.