The International Exposition of 1889
During the second half of the 19th century, there were many important buildings and monuments in architecture. This included the Crystal Palace, the Big Ben, the Statue of Liberty, and most importantly, the Eiffel Tower.
In 1889, the French government wanted to celebrate the fact that 100 years had passed since the French Revolution. In this year, no shots were fired and nothing was ruined. The French government wanted to find a way to commemorate the social ideals, art and industry that came from those years. To do this, the French Government put together the International Exposition of 1889. The International exposition also displayed exhibits in other countries.
It was questionable whether the French would host another international exposition because the one prior had lost money. However, since over sixteen million people attended the one in 1878, they wanted to also celebrate the Republican. And so they held “the fourth exposition universelle”. Celebrating the Republic in the exposition brought its own difficulties. Some of the most important European powers tested the Republic by ignoring the Exposition Universelle of 1889.
A competition was put forth for designs of a monument that could be put in Paris. Out of 100 submissions, Gustave Eiffel’s concept of the Eiffel Tower won. Although it brought skepticism, it also brought amazement as it became a technological masterpiece. The Eiffel Tower is 300 metres of open-lattice wrought iron that was perfect for the gateway to the exposition.
The elevators were not in service on the day of the exposition, so 30,000 people climbed up the 1,710 stairs to the top. It was the tallest building in the world until 1929, when the Chrysler Building was made in New York. the Eiffel tower, however, became one of the world’s best tourist attractions.
Works Cited
Chandler, Arther. “Paris 1889 Exposition: History, Images, Interpretation.” Artherchandler, www.arthurchandler.com/paris-1889-exposition.
Granger. “Paris Exposition, 1889.” Fineartamerica, Paris, 17 Apr. 2012, fineartamerica.com/featured/paris-exposition-1889-granger.html.
“International Exposition of 1889.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/International-Exposition-of-1889.
“La Tour Eiffel.” Un Jour De plus à Paris, Paris, 15 Mar. 2016, www.unjourdeplusaparis.com/en/paris-reportage/exposition-universelle-1889.
Paris 1889 Plakat. Paris, 31 Dec. 1888, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposition_Universelle_(1889)#/media/File:Paris_1889_plakat.jpg.