Exposition universelle in paris

First held May 15 to November 15, 1855 as a promotion by Napolean III in response to London's 1851 Great Exhibition, it led to other late 19th century world exhibitions including 1878, 1889, 1900. The 1855 event, held on the Champs Elysees, attracted 20,000 exhibitors from 34 countries, and reportedly had over 5 million visitors. The Exposition Universelle of 1889 celebrated the 100th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, and the main symbol and entrance to the Fair was the Eiffel Tower. In 1900, the Exposition attracted more than 50 million visitors to celebrate in the "City of Light" progress of the past and optimism for the future of western civilization. There were nearly 80,000 exhibits from 60 countries including "paintings in all genres stacked high on the walls, and booths filled with display cases cluttered with objects, giving the look of an enormous exotic bazaar." Art styles were in transformation between historical modes and the style of the 'day', Art Nouveau. Also it was the era of the Arts and Crafts Movement with emphasis on pride in workmanship. In 2008, the Cleveland Museum of Art held an exhibition of some of the fine art including Tiffany jewelry and Lalique crystal that had been shown at the Paris Exposition. Sources: http://www.answers.com/topic/exposition-universelleStephen Harrison, 'Exposition Universelle in Paris', "The Magazine Antiques", October 2008.