How the Paris World's Fair brought Art Nouveau to the Masses in 1900

The Paris World's Fair of 1900 (also known as The Exposition Universelle) was held in Paris between 15 April and 12 November. On display were many new inventions: matryoshka dolls, Diesel engines, talking film, and the telegraphone. But more importantly, the architecture and design of this World's Fair brought the wonderful Art Nouveau style into popular culture. These photos and illustrations of the Fair show why the world fell in love with Art Nouveau.

A view of the Exposition Universelle

The Eiffel Tower with the Globe Céleste, the icon of the Exposition Universelle

Crowds arriving at the Place de la Concorde on double deck cars, the monumental gate by Binet

The Grand Entrance

Ancient Paris, a recreation of the medieval Paris and the Palais of the Land and Sea Forces on the other side of the river

The illuminated Eiffel Tower, erected in 1889 as the entrance arch to a previous World's Fair

The Chateau of Water, Palace of Electricity and Palace of Chemical Industries, as seen from and under the Eiffel Tower

The Avenue Nicholas II

The Avenue Nicholas II, looking towards the Dome of the Invalides

The environs of the Trocadero

The Palace Lumineux

Champ de Mars

A road between pavilions

The national pavilions

Belgium (left) and Finland (right)

Germany (left and below) and Sweden (right)

Italy

Russia

The Austro-Hungarian Pavilion

United States

The Dutch East Indies Pavilion, a replica of Candi Sari, a 8th-century Buddhist temple in Indonesia

Algeria

Norway

(via Societe Anglaise)

Romania

(via Modernism)

Indo-China

(via Exposition Universelle 1900 and belleindochine)

The Le Tour du Monde pavilions displaying a collection of exotic oriental architectures – a Siamese pavilion, a Japanese pagoda and an Indian pavilion.

(via Boston College)

Cambodia

Sudan and Senegal

(via Brown University)

The Grand and the Little Palace

A Perfumery in the Department of Chemistry

Inside the Palace of Electricity

Inside the La Salle des Fêtes

The Palace of Optics

Manufacturer's and Liberal Arts Building

Commercial Navigation Building and Quai d' Orsay, France

The Commercial Navigation, Industrial Arts, Electrical sections and the main hall in the United States Pavilion

A sculpture exhibition at the Grand Palace

(via Brown University)

The Palace of Horticulture

The Agricultural Section with the shop of Chocolat Menier

Palace of Forestry, Hunting, Fishing and Gathering

Inside the Hungarian Pavilion

Palace of Decorative Arts with glass items of Crystallerie de la Pantin, a well-known glass maker

A giant telescope in the Palace of Optics

(via Wikimedia Commons 1 – 2)

Cinéorama, an early film experiment by Raoul Grimoin-Sanson. It simulated a ride in a hot air balloon over Paris.

The system consisted ten 70mm movie projectors and a 90x9 (295x29.5 ft) metre screens.

It lasted only three days, because it was shut down by the police for safety reasons: the projectors lights caused extreme heat.

(via Wikimedia Commons)

A moving sidewalk

And here's how it moved.

A rolling platform 30 ft. above head with steel rails and the sidewalk

(via Brown University)

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The photos above are from Brooklyn Museum and The Library of Congress, made by Henry William Goodyear, except when noted otherwise.