The Historical Archive of Fondazione Fiera Milano: a century of trade fair and cultural memory

As a custodian of an extraordinary documentary heritage spanning over a century of trade fair, economic, and social history, the archive was established to preserve and enhance the memory of Ente Fiera Milano. It houses materials dating from 1920, the year of Milan’s first trade fair, up to the founding of the foundation in 2000.

Founded twenty-five years ago as a private non-profit entity, the foundation’s primary goals include supporting the trade fair sector, with the aim of promoting events and exhibitions both in Italy and abroad. The historical archive was officially recognized as being of significant interest by the Archival Superintendency for the Lombardy Region on February 1, 2005.

Its collection is divided into several sections:

• Paper Documents: Comprising official records, correspondence, minutes, and other administrative documents that bear witness to the fair’s evolution and organization over the decades.
• Iconography: A collection of over 500,000 images, including photographs, glass plate negatives, and film negatives, covering a time span from the 1906 Milan International Exhibition to the early 1990s. These images provide a visual cross-section of Italy’s industrial, cultural, and social evolution.
• Posters: Approximately 100 historical posters from the Milan Trade Fair and various specialized exhibitions, produced between 1923 and 1990, in various formats and languages (up to 25 different foreign languages for a single edition). These reflect the artistic and communication trends of different eras.
• Catalogs and Publications: Over 5,000 trade fair catalogs and 30,000 volumes documenting exhibitions, exhibitors, and showcased products, offering a detailed overview of Italy’s industrial and commercial development.
• Videos and Audio Recordings: About 350 videos capturing key moments of trade fairs, interviews, and reports, providing a communicative dimension to the documented history.
• Memorabilia and Objects: A collection of items and works produced or collected by Ente Fiera Milano over almost a century of activity, enriching the historical narrative with tangible elements from the past.

Among the most fascinating elements of the archive is the photographic collection, featuring images that document crucial moments in Italian history, such as the post-war reconstruction and the subsequent economic boom.

Through its historical archive, Fondazione Fiera Milano continues to pursue its mission of making this wealth of history and culture accessible to the public. It preserves historical memory while promoting educational, research, and cultural initiatives by organizing exhibitions, workshops, and activities to share the legacy of Milan’s trade fair tradition with the community.

Furthermore, the foundation has joined Museimpresa (the Italian Association of Business Archives and Museums), an initiative promoted by Assolombarda and Confindustria, to enhance and connect businesses that prioritize culture in their communication strategies, recognizing the archive as a key element for the country’s economic and cultural development.