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Copyright: L'Illustration 1867, Nr. 1274, 27.6.1867, S. 56f

The park area surrounding the palace took up two thirds of the Champ de Mars. Grouped around the oval, there were four quarters which were also named after the four main industrial countries of Europe: France, England, Germany and Belgium. The nations were allocated to these quarters only for purposes of improved clarity. In this unique ensemble of gardens and stands of trees, avenues and lawns, lakes and fountains with artistically arranged waterworks, one was endeavouring to complement the sobre?? encyclopaedia of the exhibition hall with further areas. Here, in addition to architecturally very differently conceived theme pavilions and ethnographic shows, places of entertainment were provided for the visitors or, apart from live animals and plants, larger exhibits were displayed, exhibits which exceeded the capacity of the exhibition hall.

Visitors who came to the site by scheduled trains or by boat on the Seine were able to move about within the exhibition using steam-driven buses or smaller conveyances. However, the balloon trips were especially exciting, or the panorama trip on one of the excursion boats on the Seine, from where one enjoyed a unique view of the multi-facetted nature of the site.

For those wishing to relax from the hustle and bustle of the exhibition, they could visit the 50,000 square metres park – the Jardin réservé, which had been laid out by French horticultural architects. Meadows and stands of trees, grottoes, and streams with waterfalls which flowed into small lakes, all produced an artificial landscape of great variety. Greenhouses and gardens featuring the flora of the earth´s different climate zones were constructed for fans of zoology and botany. Bird species from all over the world were accommodated in huge aviaries. And in two grotto-like aquariums with pedestrian access, one was able to submerge oneself into the world of fresh and salt water and observe exotic plants, fish and other aquatic animals through large glass windows.
There were several technical novelties whose practical application could be particularly well demonstrated in the park. Night-time opening of the exhibition allowed a very effective presentation of new lighting systems, for example the new-fangled???? 50 metre high light towers with electric light which lit up the sky over Paris at night. New possibilities or improvements in transportation systems were either used for the conveyance of visitors around the exhibition site or presented in their own theme pavilions: the Suez Canal could be seen in the form of a model, and this incredible construction project was also explained in public lectures by its engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps.

Exotic guesthouses and pubs enjoyed special popularity, such as an Austrian wine bar, an English pub or a Tunisian coffee house. In these international establishments which surrounded the exhibition palace, it was possible to listen to evening concerts and be served by gaslight up until 11 p.m.


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The Paris World Exposition 1867
Adventurous Contrasts – The Exhibition Park
Year: 1867City: ParisCountry: France
Duration: 1st April - 3rd November 1867

 

 

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