The Paris World Exposition 1889
Famous engineering constructions

Year: 1889 City: Paris Country: France Duration: 6th May - 31st October 1889

1  Copyright: Revue de l'Exposition universelle de 1889, S. 248

With the Eiffel Tower and the “Galerie des Machines”, two of the most famous engineering constructions of the 19th Century were built at the same time for the fourth Paris World Exhibition. This may be the reason why the “Exposition universelle” is regarded as the most prestigious world exhibition that has so far taken place. Admittedly, the Eiffel Tower served no useful purpose, but as a landmark for the exhibition and the French capital it fulfilled its function brilliantly. In the “Galerie des Machines”, where a seemingly floating construction of iron girders bridged a prodigious span, visitors to the exhibition were able to enjoy a symphony of steam engines and electro- dynamos. Dances performed by groups from far-off, strange countries were also immensely popular. For the first time ever, the people of Europe were exposed on a massive scale to foreign cultures and foreign “worlds”.