Exposition Universelle (1867)

"Napoleon III receives the rulers and illustrious men who visited the Exposition Universelle of 1867".

The Exposition Universelle of 1867 was a World Exposition held in Paris, France, in 1867.

Conception

In 1864, Emperor Napoleon III decreed that an international exposition should be held in Paris in 1867. A commission was appointed with Prince Jerome Napoleon as president, under whose direction the preliminary work began. The site chosen for the Exposition Universelle of 1867 was the Champ de Mars, the great military parade ground of Paris, which covered an area of 119 acres (48 ha) and to which was added the island of Billancourt, of 52 acres (21 ha). The principal building was rectangular in shape with rounded ends, having a length of 1608 feet (490 m) and a width of 1247 feet (380 m), and in the center was a pavilion surmounted by a dome and surrounded by a garden, 545 feet (166 m) long and 184 feet (56 m) wide, with a gallery built completely around it. In addition to the main building, there were nearly 100 smaller buildings on the grounds.

Exhibit

There were 50,226 exhibitors, of whom 15,055 were from France and her colonies, 6176 from Great Britain and Ireland, 703 from the United States and a small contingent from Canada. The funds for the construction and maintenance of the exposition consisted of grants of $1,165,020 from the French government, a like amount from the city of Paris, and about $2,000,000 from public subscription, making a total of $5,883,400; while the receipts were estimated to have been but $2,822,900, thus leaving a deficit, which, however, was offset by the subscriptions from the government and the city of Paris, so that the final report was made to show a gain.

In the "gallery of Labour History" Jacques Boucher de Perthes, exposes one of the first prehistoric tool whose authenticity has been recognized with the accuracy of these theories.

The exposition was formally opened on April 1, and closed on October 31, 1867, and was visited by 9,238,967 persons, including exhibitors and employees. This exposition was the greatest up to its time of all international expositions, both with respect to its extent and to the scope of its plan.

Influences

Vincent Van Gogh and other artists of the post-impressionism movement of the late 19th century were part of the European art craze inspired by the displays seen here, and wrote often of the Japanese woodcut prints "that one sees everywhere, landscapes and figures." Not only was Van Gogh a collector of the new art brought to Europe from a newly opened Japan, but many other French artists from the late 19th century were also influenced by the Japanese artistic world-view, to develop into Japonism.

Jules Verne visited the exhibition in 1867, his take on the newly-publicized discovery of electricity inspiring him heavily in his writing of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

A famous revival of the ballet Le Corsaire was staged by the Ballet Master Joseph Mazilier in honor of the exhibition at the Théâtre Impérial de l´Opéra on October 21, 1867.

The World Rowing Championships were held on the Seine River in July and was won by the underdog Canadian team from Saint John, New Brunswick which was quickly dubbed by the media as The Paris Crew.

Notes

• This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.

Gallery

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  Engraving of the Exposition Universelle (1867).

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  The Japanese delegation to the Exposition Universelle.

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  Chinese and Japanese exhibits at the 1867 Exposition Universelle.

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  Model of Plongeur, made for the Exposition Universelle (1867). Musée National de la Marine (Rochefort).

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  Pavillion of the Japanese "Government of Satsuma" at the Exposition Universelle.

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  Siamese elephant pavillon at the Exposition.

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  Flint Biface

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  Victoria's (Australie) stand

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  Commission awarded to one of the members of the (Australian state of) Victoria stand in 1867

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  Exposition Universelle in Paris, 1867

External links

• 1867 Paris Exposition souvenir fan in the Staten Island Historical Society Online Collections Database