In 1889 the French held a spectacular exposition in Paris to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution. In its many buildings it featured examples of the tremendous industrial progress that had been made during the century. To celebrate the exposition, the French newspaper Le Figaro published a special supplement using this poster as its cover. In the foreground is the Seine River with the Eiffel Tower soaring behind. At the time the tower was the tallest structure in the world.
This was the first exposition where electricity was used in a major way, and at night the lower part of the tower and surrounding fountains were lit up, creating a spectacular show. Thousands of examples of advanced machinery, military aircraft, glass, and applied arts were exhibited. In the Gallery of Machines, under the arch of the tower, visitors stood on a high moving platform to view the wonderful inventions that had been developed during the Industrial Revolution. The exposition demonstrated to the world that the 1800's had indeed been technically dynamic.
Exposition Universelle de Paris 1889
