Tuesday, January 1, 2013

~Paris Exposition Universelle of 1900~



The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was held in Paris from April to November 1900,
to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next.
Panoramic view of both exposition centers
 Eight years before the launch of the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle, the Republic of France announced the exhibition to be one which welcomed and celebrated the coming of a new century. Countries from around the world were invited by France to showcase their achievements and lifestyles.  The support for the exhibition was widespread, foreign countries immediately began to plan their exhibits,

The fair displayed, in view of over 50 million people, many machines, inventions, and architecture that are now (nearly) universally known, including; escalators, the Eiffel Tower, Ferris wheels,  Campbell's Soup, Diesel engines, talking films, and the telegraphone (the precursor to modern-day sound recording).  Russian sparkling wine defeated all the French entries to claim the internationally coveted "Grand Prix de Champagne". The exposition also showcased another Russian entry, the widely famous Matryoshka doll (Russian Nesting Doll).
The Russian Pavilion
Matryoshka Nesting Dolls

Many of the buildings and statues of the world’s fair were made of staff,  a low-cost temporary building material invented in Paris in 1876, which consisted of jute fiber, plaster of Paris, and cement. The temporary buildings were built on a framework of wood, covered with staff, which was then formed into columns, statuary, walls, stairs, etc. After the fair was over, the buildings were demolished.  All items and materials that could be salvaged and sold were “recycled”.


The site of the exposition, along the Seine, linked four originally unconnected districts of the city. The construction of the Pont d’Iena connected the Trocedero with the Champs de Mars, situated on the opposite bank of the Seine, to form the main exposition complex.
The Trocedero


View of the Trocedero from the Champs de Mars

Palais de l'Electricite

The site continued along the banks of the Seine up to the area in front of the Invalides, where it was planned to build a second centre.  A newly built esplanade which led from the Hotel des Invalides over the new Seine bridge, the Pont Alexandre III,  to the opposite bank. This formed the second exposition center.
Pont Alexandre III
Palais of the Nations

  The continuation of the esplanade, the Avenue Nicholas II, extended the route past the two planned palaces of art, the Petit Palais and Grand Palais, to the Champs Elysees. This proved to be a magnificent street system which soon received praise as a brilliant invention for the exposition.
The Grand Palais
The style that was universally present in the Exposition was Art Nouveau.  Exposition Universelle structures, such as the Porte Monumentale entrance, the Pavilion Bleu and the Grand and Petit Palais, were largely oriented around the Art Nouveau theme. The Petit Palais, was constructed to hold the exhibition of French art, but is known mainly for its Art Nouveau inspired iron work and general design. Much like the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais combines the styles of Neo-Baroque and Art Nouveau.
Porte Monumentale
The Petit Palais
Rue de Rivoli along the Tuilerie Gardens

Despite the initial enthusiasm, the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle was not a financial success as only two thirds of the expected public was in attendance. It was such an expensive exhibition to organize and run that the costs for the average citizen to see specific attractions would be about six hundred francs in addition to their admittance ticket. The 1900 Exposition Universelle lost a grand total of eighty two thousand francs after six months in operation.

The financial implications of the 1900 Exposition Universelle devastated Paris` people and resulted in the decision to end the streak of international fairs with the 1900 loss.