16th Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition

*Postal Stamps*

In 1949, the Egyptian Postal Authority celebrated the 16th Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition by issuing five commemorative stamps and two postcards. The first four stamps featured a model of the Nile statue, a magnificent colossal statue found in the Temple of the Egyptian goddesses Isis and Serapis in Rome (yes, there were Romans who worshipped Egyptian deities even after Egypt fell into their hands!). The statue depicts an elderly man, symbolizing the Nile, holding a "horn of abundance" in his left hand and stalks of wheat in his right, leaning against the Sphinx—meaning that the Nile depends on Egypt, not the other way around. Around him are 16 children, representing the 16 cubits that the Nile rises each year during its floods. The author suspects that the choice of this particular statue as the symbol for the 1949 exhibition was intended to indicate that it was the 16th exhibition. A miniature model of the statue is housed in the Egyptian Agricultural Museum, and the same image appeared on the back of the five-pound note during the reign of King Farouk. The final stamp, a 30-millime note, featured a depiction of a peasant woman, rendered in Pharaonic style, holding sheaves of wheat. Beside her was a farmer with his hoe, both protected by an Egyptian soldier at the ready with his weapon. Behind them, the silhouettes of factories symbolized Egypt's continued progress despite the circumstances of the Palestine War. The Postal Authority also decided to set up a temporary post office on the exhibition grounds to sell commemorative stamps and stamp them with the first-day mark for visitors.

*History of Exhibitions in Egypt*

In 1898, the first agricultural exhibition was held on Gezira Island (then an open space, now home to the Egyptian Opera House and the Museum of Modern Art) near the capital. Accessible via the Qasr al-Nil Bridge, the exhibition was a resounding success, becoming a semi-regular event. The early exhibitions, up until 1907, focused on agricultural products and machinery, later expanding to include all types of industry. The Royal Agricultural Society aimed to present a positive image of the country's progress and to draw the attention of farmers and industrialists to the benefits that exemplary agriculture and industry could bring to the nation. Besides showcasing the finest grains and products, these exhibitions fostered healthy competition, allowing Egypt to increase its revenues and keep pace with global progress. Major Egyptian national institutions took an interest in the exhibition, such as Abboud Transport Company, Farghali Cotton Company, and the Bank of Egypt Group of Companies, etc. The exhibition management and successive governments spared no effort in presenting it in the best possible way, and they would erect new buildings to encourage visitors to return again with each edition.

*Exhibition 1949*

The 1949 exhibition was a momentous event for the entire East, as it was the first Egyptian exhibition held in 13 years. In 1936, the committee had decided to hold it every five years to ensure its optimal presentation. However, the outbreak of World War II, the difficulties of importing and exporting, and the scarcity of raw materials led to its postponement until after the war. As the global economy began to recover after 1947, Egypt entered the Palestine War, and then a cholera epidemic spread. Finally, in 1949, the state was able to hold the exhibition, which was considered its most successful ever, and its slogan was: “This is Egypt!” The exhibition was held on an area of 60 acres and was visited by about one and a half million people (a huge number considering that the entire Egyptian population was slightly less than 18 million, meaning that one-tenth of the country’s population visited it!). It cost about 200,000 Egyptian pounds. In addition to the exhibition halls, the exhibition provided recreational activities, including shows and rest areas in the various clubs located within the complex, as well as a complete amusement park on the side. The left side of it featured fireworks displays in the evening, a taste of luxury restaurants, and a cinema showing animated films for children, in addition to acrobatic shows from the Al-Helw and Akef Al-Watani circuses. The 1949 exhibition was also distinguished by allowing sister Arab countries to participate in it with their various exhibits, in order to document the bonds of friendship between Egypt and the Arab countries.

Nile Valley Street

One of the most significant innovations was the "Nile Valley" street, which represented the Nile Valley starting from Alexandria (in the form of a lighthouse) and Port Said in the north, all the way to Sudan in the south (with the Sudanese pavilion building being the largest of all). The magazine "Al-Musawwar" even dedicated an article to it titled "From Alexandria to Sudan in 415 Meters!" Models were erected for each region of the Nile Valley, according to its nature and geographical arrangement, showcasing the pride of its exhibits and products that distinguished it in the prosperous valley. For example, the Gharbia Governorate building was designed as a factory, symbolizing the advanced spinning and weaving industry in its capital, El-Mahalla El-Kubra. The Suez Governorate building was designed as an oil refinery – Suez being a pioneer in the petroleum industry – while the Fayoum and Minya Governorate buildings reflected the folklore of those regions, featuring waterwheels and majestic roundabouts. The aim of the “Nile Valley” street was for Egyptians – young and old – to become acquainted with all the Egyptian cities and regions and their contributions to the national economy. The exhibition buildings varied in their forms. For example, the Eastern Palace was built specifically for the 1949 exhibition in the Egyptian Mamluk style, while other buildings were erected in the Egyptian Pharaonic style, and a final group was built in the modern Egyptian style. But the most important thing that distinguished them all was their pure Egyptianness.

*The strangest moments at the exhibition*

One of the strangest events at the exhibition was that a man stormed into the tent of an old fortune teller with the intention of killing her with his pistol, as he had visited her the previous day and she had informed him that his wife was cheating on him and had described to him precisely the place where she hid love letters from her lovers. When the man was certain of the scandal, he returned to the exhibition to kill the fortune teller who had removed the veil from his eyes, but the other visitors managed to control the man until the police came and arrested him!

*conclusion*

The stories of the 1949 exhibition are countless, and we may discuss some of them in later publications. It suffices to mention that after the success of the exhibition, the Egyptian government discussed with its German counterpart the idea of transferring the Leipzig International Exhibition to Egypt, as it had stopped since Germany's defeat in the World War! In any case, we are fortunate that the commemorative stamps that chronicle this important event in modern national history are among the cheapest Egyptian stamps, as their price does not exceed a few pounds, which is a very modest price, especially considering the abundance of historical information related to it.

Sources: – Muhib Rizq Allah

Special issue: “Al-Masry” The 16th Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition - Supplement: “Al-Ahram” on the occasion of the Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition 1949 - Photographed February 25, 1949,

Special issue on the Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition - L'Orient Philatelique Vol VI No. 66 Avril 1949