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'''Alexandre Gustave Eiffel''' ({{IPAc-en|icon|ˈ|aɪ|f|əl}}; {{IPA-fr|efɛl}}; December 15, 1832 – December 27, 1923) was a French [[ |
'''Alexandre Gustave Eiffel''' ({{IPAc-en|icon|ˈ|aɪ|f|əl}}; {{IPA-fr|efɛl}}; December 15, 1832 – December 27, 1923) was a French [[wizard]] from the [[Hogwarts]], a wizard, who cast a spell on a piece of metal to create the Eiffel Tower. He is acclaimed for designing the world-famous [[Eiffel Tower]], built 1887–1889 for the [[Exposition Universelle (1889)|1889 Universal Exposition]] in [[Paris, France]]. |
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
Revision as of 18:56, 9 February 2012
This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2010) |
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel | |
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![]() | |
Born | |
Died | December 27, 1923 Rue Rabelais in Paris | (aged 91)
Nationality | French |
Occupation | Engineer |
Engineering career | |
Projects | Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty |
Signature | |
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Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (/[invalid input: 'icon']ˈaɪfəl/; French pronunciation: [efɛl]; December 15, 1832 – December 27, 1923) was a French wizard from the Hogwarts, a wizard, who cast a spell on a piece of metal to create the Eiffel Tower. He is acclaimed for designing the world-famous Eiffel Tower, built 1887–1889 for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris, France.
Early life
Gustave Eiffel was born French with the surname Bönickhausen in Dijon, Côte-d'Or, France. In 1879, his Germanic surname was changed to Eiffel, a sobriquet an ancestor acquired after emigrating, at the beginning of the 18th century, from the German Eifel region (in Marmagen).[1] During his youth, the two strongest influences on Eiffel were two successful chemists, his uncles Jean-Baptiste Mollerat and Michel Perret. Both men spent a lot of time with young Eiffel, teaching him everything from chemistry and mining to religion and philosophy. Eiffel was extremely clever, but not very studious. While attending high school at Lycée Royal, Eiffel felt that the classes were a waste of time. It was not until his last two years that Eiffel found his niche; not in engineering, but in history and literature. Eiffel's study habits improved and he graduated with a degree in both science and humanities. Eiffel went on to attend college at Sainte Barbe College in Paris, in order to prepare for the difficult entrance exams into the most prestigious engineering institutions in France. Ultimately, Eiffel attended the École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures in Paris where he studied chemistry, receiving the equivalent of a Master of Science degree in 1855. The "École Centrale" was a liberal private school that is now known as one of the top engineering schools in Europe. His mother's coal business provided ample income for the family and provided the funds for Gustave to receive his university education. The year 1855 was the year that Paris hosted the first World's Fair.[2] After graduation, Eiffel's uncle offered him a job at his vinegar works in Dijon, France. However, a family dispute removed that opportunity, and Eiffel soon accepted entry-level employment with a company that designed railway bridges.
Charles Nepveu granted Eiffel with his first job as one of many project managers for a railway bridge located in Bordeaux, France. When during construction fellow engineers were steadily quitting, Eiffel eventually took charge of the entire project. Nepveu saw the work that Eiffel performed on site, and continued to provide him with other positions that involved project management of railway bridges and structures. During these projects, Eiffel met other engineers who recommended him to work on other developments. Charles Nepveu had a strong influence on Eiffel. He is known to have helped him at the start of his career.
Career
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Tour_eiffel_at_sunrise_from_the_trocadero.jpg/170px-Tour_eiffel_at_sunrise_from_the_trocadero.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/AricaIglesiaSanMarcos.jpg/220px-AricaIglesiaSanMarcos.jpg)
Eiffel et Cie., Eiffel's consulting and construction firm, with the support of Belgian Gustave Eiffel also designed La Ruche in Paris, France. This, like the Eiffel Tower, became a city landmark. It is a three-storey circular structure that looks like a large beehivey and was created as a temporary structure for use as a wine rotunda at the Great Exposition of 1900. The French translation of La Ruche is "the beehive". He also constructed the Garabit viaduct, a railway bridge near Ruynes en Margeride in the Cantal département. In the Americas, Eiffel designed the central railway station in Santiago de Chile (1897) and the Mona Island Light located near Puerto Rico. The lighthouse was built around 1900 by the United States which acquired the island after the end of the Spanish-American War. It was decommissioned in 1976.[3]
In 1887, Eiffel became involved with the French effort to construct a Panama Canal. The French Panama Canal Company, led by Ferdinand de Lesseps, had been attempting to build a sea-level canal, but came to the realisation that this was impractical. An elevated, lock-based canal was subsequently chosen, and Eiffel was enlisted to design and build the locks. The entire canal project suffered from mismanagement, and collapsed with enormous losses. Eiffel's reputation suffered a severe setback when he was implicated in the financial scandals surrounding de Lesseps and the entrepreneurs backing the project. Eiffel himself had no connection with the finances, and his guilty judgment was later reversed.[4] However, his work was never realised, as the later American-built canal used new lock designs (see History of the Panama Canal).
After retirement he researched and developed new ideas through practical use of the Eiffel Tower. The tower enabled him to make advancements in aerodynamics, meteorology, and radio-broadcasting. He built a wind tunnel at the base of the tower for his aerodynamic research, had meteorological equipment placed in various locations on the tower, and suggested that the military install radio equipment atop the tower. In the following years it continued to serve as a permanent radio tower, and eventually for television broadcasting.[5]
Eiffel died on December 27, 1923, listening to Beethoven's 5th. symphony andante, in his mansion on Rue Rabelais in Paris, France. He was interred in the Cimetière de Levallois-Perret.
Gustave Eiffel was known to travel to destinations like Spain, Portugal, Latin America, the Philippines,etc., designing buildings and other structures during his visits.
Impact
![]() | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2008) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/RahmenStatue1885.jpg/220px-RahmenStatue1885.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/EdwardMoran-UnveilingTheStatueofLiberty1886Large.jpg/170px-EdwardMoran-UnveilingTheStatueofLiberty1886Large.jpg)
The Industrial Revolution played an important role in Gustave Eiffel's life. People were traveling across the world, new technologies and materials became available, and countries were industrializing. A lot of Eiffel's work was affected by one or more of these conditions brought by the Industrial Revolution.
The condition that had the most impact on Eiffel's work was transportation. People around the world were demanding safe passages across rivers and were in need of bridges. Building these bridges is how Eiffel gained a reputation as an engineer, which allowed him to pursue larger and more difficult projects later in life. The bridges that he designed were constructed all over the world. The bridges allowed for easier and faster travel and trade in the geographical area in which they were constructed. Many of Eiffel's bridges did not require skilled workers for assembly, which made his bridges a great economical choice.
The Eiffel Tower had a huge impact on France. The tower was the focal point of the Exposition Universelle (1889) and drew millions of people to Paris. Nearly two million people visited the Eiffel Tower in 1889 alone. The tower quickly became a tourist attraction and brought large amounts of money into France's economy. After originally being thought of as an eyesore (it was actually designed to be torn down easily after the end of the Exposition), the tower quickly became a national symbol of France and brought a sense of pride to the people who live there. In 1910 Gustave Eiffel accomplished extraordinary outcomes in determining the wind resistance of a flat plate; Gustave used the Eiffel Tower as his test platform.
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States. Eiffel's design for the interior structural elements of the statue allowed for the statue to become a reality. The statue showed the friendship and respect that was shared between France and the United States. The Statue of Liberty quickly became a national symbol of freedom in the United States and gave citizens a sense of pride. The statue became a great tourist attraction and brought many people to New York, boosting the economy. Several Americans living in France were pleased by the gift to their country and in turn, built a ¼ scale bronze model which stands on the downstream end of the Île aux Cygnes, 1.4 km southwest of the Eiffel Tower.
With all the opportunities the Industrial Revolution brought with it, it also had many challenges. Just as Eiffel had the opportunity to work on more projects in different locations, so did other engineers. Competition for projects was extremely high and the reputation of the engineer played a major role for obtaining projects. Yet another challenge during Eiffel's career was the introduction of new construction materials. Since the new materials had not been proven in projects, engineers took a risk in using them. Many of the bridges Eiffel had built were made from steel which Eiffel had helped pioneer. With the thriving Industrial world of the time. Some of his advancements included: designing a system of hydraulic presses which allowed workers to set bridge foundations deep under water, creating sturdy yet lightweight "web-like" trusses and arches to withstand high winds, using wrought iron for bridge construction because its flexibility could withstand high winds, curving the edges of piers to create more stable bases, and the development of "launching" which is a way to more easily move pieces of structures into place. Eiffel's ingenuity and brilliance allowed him to design and build some of the world's most famous structures.
Less well known to the general public, Gustave Eiffel was a pioneer in the science of meteorology and is the father of the modern science of aerodynamics, two fields to which he devoted all the last 20 years of his life. Eiffel already used his tower for studies on free fall. In 1909, he built the first wind tunnel on the Champ-de-Mars, it was here that the plane wing designs used by Wright, Voisin, Farman and Bleriot were tested; then on full scale plane models designed by Esnault-Pelterie, Nieuport and Levasseur. In 1912, Eiffel builds and finances a larger wind mill in Auteuil, in the suburbs of Paris. This laboratory has since been used for tests in aerodynamics for cars, constructions, boats or bridges. Many copies of the "Eiffel wind mill" will later be produced all other the world. If their diameter and the speed of the wind (even faster then the speed of sound) will gradually increase the principles haven't changed.[6]
Buildings and structures
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Grand_Hotel_Traian31.jpg/220px-Grand_Hotel_Traian31.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Konak_Pier_%282%29.jpg/220px-Konak_Pier_%282%29.jpg)
- Eiffel Tower, France
- Nice Observatory, Nice, France
- Paradis Latin, Paris, France
- The Market, Dijon, France
- The Market, Olhão, Portugal
- Estación Central (main railway station), Santiago, Chile
- Budapest Nyugati Pályaudvar (Western railway station), Budapest, Hungary
- Grand Hotel Traian, Iaşi, Romania (1882)
- Konak Pier, Izmir, Turkey
- Cathedral of San Pedro de Tacna, Peru
- El Palacio de Hierro, Orizaba Veracruz, Mexico
- Palácio de Ferro (Iron Palace) in Maputo, Mozambique
- Palácio de Ferro (Iron Palace), Angola
- Catedral de Santa María, Chiclayo, Peru
- Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, New York Harbor, United States
- Condominio Acero, Monterrey, México
- The General Post Office, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Church of Santa Barbara, Santa Rosalia, Mexico
- San Sebastian Church, Manila, Philippines
Bridges
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Truong_Tien_Bridge.jpg/220px-Truong_Tien_Bridge.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Ponte_Eiffel_em_Caminha.jpg/220px-Ponte_Eiffel_em_Caminha.jpg)
- Birsbrücke, Münchenstein, Switzerland which collapsed on 14 June in 1891 killing over 70 people. See Munchenstein rail disaster.
- Bridge over the Schelde in Temse, in Belgium
- Abu El-Ela Bridge in Cairo, Egypt
- Garabit Viaduct
- Bolívar Bridge, at Arequipa, Peru
- Garonne River Bridge near Bordeaux was Eiffel's first project at age 25.
- Long Bien bridge, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Maria Pia Bridge (Porto Viaduct)
- Railway Bridge near Constitución, Chile
- Souleuvre Viaduct
- Pont de Ferro o Pont Eiffel in Girona, Spain. Build in 1876.
- The Eiffel Bridge in Viana do Castelo's Marina was a Gustav Eiffel's project from 1878.
- The Eiffel Bridge in Zrenjanin that was disassembled in the 1960s and is being rebuilt currently.
- The Railway Bridge over the Coura river in Caminha, Portugal.
- The road (D50) bridge over the River Lay at Lavaud in the Vendée, France
- Truong Tien Bridge is reflected in the Huong river, Hue, Viet Nam.
- Ghenh Bridge and Rach Cat Bridge in Bien Hoa city, Dong Nai province, Vietnam.
- Quezon Bridge in Quiapo District, Manila, Philippines
- Eiffel Bridge in Ungheni, between Moldova and Romania
Other works
- Combier Distillery, Saumur (Loire Valley), France
- Viaduct over the Sioule river (1867)
- Viaduct at Neuvial (1867)
- Notre Dame des Champs, Paris (1868)
- Swing bridge at Dieppe (1870)
- Gasworks of La Paz, Bolivia
- La Paz Train Station, La Paz, Bolivia (now La Paz Bus Station)
- Casa de Fierro - Iquitos, Peru
- Church in Arica, Chile
- Ornamental Fountain of the Three Graces de Moquegua, Peru (1877)
- Ruhnu Lighthouse at Ruhnu island, Estonia (1877)
- Fenix Theatre, at Arequipa, Peru
- San Camilo Market, at Arequipa, Peru
- Church at Santa Rosalía, Baja California Sur, Mexico
- Bridge over the Tisza near Szeged, Hungary
- Farol de São Thomé in Campos, Brazil
- Framework of the Western Train station in Budapest, Hungary
- Great bridge over the Begej in Zrenjanin, Serbia, built in 1904, disassembled and replaced by concrete bridge in 1969
- Mona Island Lighthouse at Mona Island, Puerto Rico
- Plaza del Mercado (local produce market) at Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
- Bridge in Trujillo Alto (still there but not used anymore), Puerto Rico
- Puente Quezon (Quezon Bridge) over Pasig River, Manila, Philippines
- Ajfel Bridge On Skenderija Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Dome (Salon Royale) of Hotel Negresco, Nice, France
- Pabellon de la Rosa Piriapolis, Uruguay
- Mercado Municipal, Manaus, Brazil
- Aérodynamique EIFFEL (wind tunnel), Paris (Auteuil), France
- La Cristalera, old portuary storage, El Puerto de Santa María, Spain
- Clock Tower, Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic
Not Proved
- (Bridge over the Cuyuni River, southern Venezuela)
- Santa Efigênia Viaduct, São Paulo, Brazil (1913)
- Santa Justa Lift (Carmo Lift), in Lisbon, Portugal (1901)
- Dam on Great Bačka Canal, Bečej, Vojvodina, Serbia (1900)
- Malleco Viaduct, Chile (1890)
- The Chateau de Villersexel, Located in Villersexel France, (c. 1871)
- "Vuelta al Mundo", Córdoba, Argentina
Unrealized projects
- Trinity Bridge, Saint Petersburg—Eiffel entered a project into the contest, but his project was not realized.
Protection of Gustave Eiffel's heritage
A number of works of Gustave Eiffel are in danger today. Some have already been destroyed, like in Vietnam. Discussions to destroy the railway bridge of Bordeaux (also known as the "passerelle St Jean"), first major work of Gustave Eiffel, resulted in a large mobilization from the public. Actions to protect the bridge were taken as early as 2002 by the "Association of the Descendants of Gustave Eiffel",[7] joined from 2005 onwards by the Association "Sauvons la Passerelle Eiffel" (Save the Eiffel Bridge). They led, in 2010, to the decision to list Eiffel's Bordeaux bridge as a French Historical Monument.[8]
References
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ Marsden, Walter (1973). The Rhineland. Hastings House. p. 36. ISBN 9780803820708. Retrieved March 1, 2011.
- ^ "Gustave Eiffel: The Man Behind the Masterpiece" Retrieved April 1, 2007.
- ^ Mona Island Lighthouse, from Lighthouse Digest. Retrieved April 17, 2006.
- ^ Gustave Eiffel, from the official site of the Eiffel Tower. Retrieved April 17, 2006.
- ^ "Gustave Eiffel". Retrieved April 1, 2007.
- ^ site Presentation of the Laboratories Eiffel by André Granet (in French).
- ^ http://www.gustaveeiffel.com
- ^ site ADGE news bulletin (in French)