Exposition Universelle (1900) - Foreign Pavilions and Events

Foreign Pavilions and Events

Each country funded, designed and on occasion constructed their pavilions, carrying the burden of some of the cost of the fair and the also the glory that followed in the praise of their homeland contributions . The British Royalty pavilion, one of the largest exhibits, consisted of a mock-Elizabethan mansion decorated pictures and furniture, constructed by Sir Edwin Lutyens . The pavilion was intended to provide the Commissioner with an Englishman`s castle on the site of the exposition . The public found it to be less grand and were aware that the intention of the exhibit was not for the public, therefore recognizing it as more of an annoyance than an exhibit . The German pavilion, the second largest exhibit, was held in a large tower resembling a beer-hall, made out of wood and stained glass, inspired by Kaiser Wilhelm II who was in power at the time . Inside the tower Germany presented the comfortable living of the country through the display of their passenger-liners and their successfully growing merchant navy through the pictorial reference of the scale model of the Rothe Sand lighthouse in Germany . “he colossal vestibule of the German section on the Esplanade des Invalides…the rooms fully furnished by the upholsterers and cabinet-makers of Berlin and Munich; the colossal pavilion of machines; the colossal installations of the metallurgy and agriculture sections…” said Andre Hallays of the German pavilion . The most ornate and whimsical pavilions were those of the Austrian domains in the Balkans, Bosnia and Herzegovina . They offered displays on their lifestyles, consisting of; folklore traditions, highlighting peasant hood and the embroidery goods produced in the country . The Austrian pavilion succeeded in uniting the styles of Art Nouveau and Classicism through their embroidered goods and decorated palace. The Hungarian cupola displayed mainly their skillful agricultural produce and hunting equipment . Finland claimed the most revolutionary exhibit with its clean cut, simple and careful details . Sweden`s yellow and red structure covered in pine shingles drew much attention with its bright, welcoming colours and was a crowd favourite . The American pavilion, contrastingly, attracted negative interest among those that were not from the United States . The exhibit, a post office inspired building resembling the structures of Chicago, became a base for American visitors and offered little for foreigners to enjoy . American Loie Fuller performed shows in her own theatre, a dance routine aided by coloured lights and costume . Fuller`s intention was to bring the Art Nouveau female, Salomé, to life . Fuller`s performance helped introduce revolutionary audio-visual entertainment precursors of early motion picture equipment . Fuller was filmed on ten 70mmm projectors that created a three hundred and thirty degree picture, patented Cinéorama . Cinéorama used ``handcoloured films, phonograph music and live commentary`` to bring to life Loie Fuller as the Art Nouveau figure, Salomé . The 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle hosted the first Olympic Games outside of Greece . The event was crafted to fully complete the expectations of the exposition’s broad scope of interests . The games were few and winners were given tie-pins and pencils alongside one hundred francs used to buy their own medals . The exposition held also a dinner for the French President, M. Loubert, and twenty thousand, seven hundred and seventy seven Mayors in attendance to the fair . The dinner was prepared in eleven kitchens and served to six hundred and six widespread tables, the orders and needs of each table supervised by telephone and vehicle . The enormous dinner was reviewed as a show of the unity and success of the French Republic .

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