Touring the Exposition Universelle - Part 1/3

Paris, France
Date: May 8, 1889
Location: The Galerie des machines

Touring the Exposition Universelle

Lorem and her father were finally able to venture out into the Exposition Universelle just a little past noon. Being that they currently resided inside the confines of the grounds, they didn't have to pay the admission cost to the Exposition of forty centimes. They brought with them their converted German to French currency that they had been saving up for this occasion. While entry was free for them, several of the most popular attractions had an admission fee; climbing the Eiffel Tower cost five francs, admission to the popular panoramas, theatres and concerts was one franc for example. It made sense, one of the goals of the Exposition was to earn a profit for Paris so that events such as this could be justified in the future.

Having visited the Eiffel tower when they first arrived, seeing it everyday from the air, and planning to eat at one of its restaurants later made the duo decide to skip past the main attraction of the Exposition and instead make a straight path for the second monumental building on the site.

The Galerie des machines, by the architect Ferdinand Dutert and engineer Victor Contamin, had originally been built for the Universal Exposition of 1878. It was a huge iron and glass structure which contained the industrial displays. It occupied the entire width of the Exposition site, the land between the avenue de la Bourdonnais and the present avenue de Suffren, and covered 77,000 square meters, with 34,700 square meters of glass windows. The Gallery of Machines used a system of hinged arches (like a series of bridge spans placed not end-to-end but parallel) made of steel or iron. Although often described as being constructed of steel, it was actually made of iron.

Lorem's father knew to allow his daughter the time she needed to admire not just the exhibits, but the grand encasements for the exhibits; she could easily get transfixed with how an architectural joint was constructed as much as innovative technology. He found her enthusiasm and curiosity more enjoyable to watch then anything else. It made him tear up on a few occasions to think on how proud he was of her and how honored he was to be her father. Lorem was like a very polite kid in a candy shop that had an endless stream of pertinent questions for those presenting. They had already discussed in advance their plan of attack for their time, and her father was in charge of keeping them moving accordingly so that Lorem didn't get stuck too long in one place.

One important goal of the Exposition was to present the latest in science and technology. A pavilion was devoted to Thomas Edison's recent inventions, including an improved phonograph with clearer sound quality. Another new technology that Lorem was keen on was the safety elevator, developed by a new American company, Otis Elevator; gnomes found utility in anything which made mobility easier in a big person world. There were pavilions especially devoted to the telephone and to steam, and others devoted to maritime navigation, and another, the Palais de Guerre or Palace of War, to developments in military technology, such as naval artillery. Prefabricated metal housing was another technology that appeared at the Exposition. Gustave Eiffel developed a series of houses with roof and walls of galvanized steel, and wooden interiors, which could be rapidly put together or taken apart, largely for use in French colony of Indochina.

Lorem was doing her best to keep up with her observing, enjoying, sketching and taking notes in her journal. She would engage in conversation with her father as they ambulated from place to place, or when they took a small break to rest and enjoy something particularly French to drink and eat. In addition, there were a few books being sold on particular topics of interest written by some of the pioneering minds in the world that she added to her collection.