The Paris Exhibition of 1900

Liz McKernan samples French culture - March 2000

I had long been fascinated by postcards showing the Paris Exhibition of 1900, and as the year 2000 grew ever nearer my collection began to intrigue me even more. With the enormous publicity and hype given to the new Dome in Greenwich, I began to wonder about the stories behind the setting up of Paris 1900.

Here was an opportunity for me to find out details of the many pavilions, exhibits and exhibitions which made up this event exactly one hundred years ago. I sent off my bid for lot 718 in Dalkeith Auctions of Bournemouth and a short while later I was delighted to hear the book plop through my letter box. It had been accurately described and had indeed seen better days, but it was after all one hundred years old! I had no complaints - here was the background to the Exhibition, and it even included discount coupons for many of the different sections, but of course no longer usable today.

The first half of the book comprises advice for the tourist to Paris in 1 900. There are useful sections on pickpockets and swindlers; What to do in case of arrest; and the procedure to follow should you lose one of your party. All vital for the tourist of the day! A cheap excursion was available every Friday and Saturday from Charing Cross leaving at 2.45 p.m. and reaching the French capital at 11 .10 pm the same evening'. The return fares were 58s 4d 1st Class; 37s 6d 2nd Class; and 30s Od 3rd Class.

The most remarkable feature of this great Exhibition is unquestionably the astonishing manner in which, notwithstanding its amazing proportions, the utmost perfection of detail has been maintained throughout. Thus begins the description of the exhibition which heralded in the new century - the 20th century.

· The artist Albert Robida designed a long series of delicately coloured postcards for the Exhibition. He is described in the Guide as the well known draughtsman and he was responsible for the important reconstruction of medieval Paris buildings as well as the postcards.

Photography was permissable and the newly invented Kodaks were allowed inside the Exhibition. However, permission had to be acquired from the exhibitor. An official permit is needed for the use of stand cameras, and photographs cannot be taken after one o clock. A tax of 25 francs was charged for one day and 1 ,000 francs for the whole season. Suprisingly the entrance to the Exhibition is not included in the photograph permits.'

It was obviously far easier for people to buy one or more of the many postcards on sale and this they evidently did by their thousands, as today the cards are still plentiful and relatively inexpensive. I had hoped to find the postcard sales mentioned somewhere in the Guide but apart from mentioning the postage rates and showing an advertisement for Musical Postcards - The Complete Histoiy of Music in 72 cards - Two Portraits on each Card - Price 1 franc for 12 or 5 francs for the complete collection' there is no mention of sales of cards from the Exhibition.

Readers may notice that I have not given any publishers' names to the cards featured. This is because with the exception of Nos 1 (printed by Courment Bros., Paris) 6 (A. Taride, Paris) 3 and 11 (Neurdein, Paris), the publishers are unknown. Many of the long series produced have no mention of publisher or printer. Raphael Tuck produced a series of beautiful chromo-litho cards. Several unknown publishers, too, can be found and whereas ND cards exist I have yet to find one by LL! There is however mention of a kosher restaurant in the Guide run by a Monsieur Levy!!

Today there is little evidence left of the great exhibition of Paris 1900. The Grand Palais and the Petit Palais remain as galleries, although few visitors would connect these buildings with the exhibition. The Pont Alexandre Ill is perhaps the most beautiful bridge in the French capital but again few tourists crossing its single span will know of its connection with Paris 1900. The Ferris Wheel was dismantled in the 1920's. The exotic Pavilions representing countries from all corners of the globe, the Swiss mountains, the Chinese Pagoda, the white walls of a Moroccan Street and the Turkish bazaars - all vanished long ago. However, their images remain today in the 21st century in the form of postcards - cards which we now can say are one hundred years old this year.

One of 20 tickets issued in the form of a carnet'of postcards. It has not had its corner clipped, and was postally used in 1907, so I presume it was left over' after the visit. Each ticket had a value of one franc and they were sold at kiosks and by street vendors outside the gates for 60c to 80c.



The Palace of Costume' showed the history of women's dress through the ages. The costumes were worn by life-sized figures representing persons famous or infamous and set in appropriate settings generally copied from old prints or drawings.'



Not far from the wheel was situated 'The Swiss Village.' This seems to have been a truly amazing representation of Switzerland which covered an area of 21,000 sq. metres. It took a team of 300 workmen three years to complete.



Old Paris' was a cleverly constructed line of buildings some 300 metres long, all showing Paris in the Middle Ages. The artist, Albert Robida, designed a long series of delicately coloured postcards with the greatest historical exactness of their picturesque dwellings.'