A fantastic archive of approximately 650 total postcards (including some duplicates), showcasing the various pavilions, architectural landmarks, and events from the 1900 world's fair. Most approximately 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches. Loose as issued, currently housed in modern albums. Many unused, possibly a third written on and/or mailed. Scattered soiling and handling wear, light dust-staining or toning, overall excellent. [Paris, circa 1900.] Includes an album "Souvenir de l'Exposition 1900", a miniature booklet "Exposition 1900 Guide offert aux Visiteurs du Pavilion du Champagne Mercier", and a ticket for the concert held at the inauguration of the fair, on April 14, 1900.

The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was held in Paris from April 14 to November 12, at the esplanade of Les Invalides, the Champ de Mars, the Trocadéro, and along the banks of the Seine, with an additional section in the Bois de Vincennes. It is estimated that more than 50 million people attended the fair during those 7 months. The fair celebrated the achievements of the 19th century and new developments moving into the 20th century. This exposition was key in propagating the newly fashionable Art Nouveau style, and introduced many important architectural works and now-universal inventions, including the Grand Roue de Paris Ferris wheel, Russian nesting dolls, diesel engines, talking films, the first regular passenger trolleybus line, the Rue de l'Avenir moving sidewalk, and escalators.

The fair showcased France as a major colonial power through numerous pavilions built on the hill of the Trocadéro Palace. These included pavilions for the French colonies in Africa of Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan, and Guinea, as well as the colonies of Indochina, Tonkin, Laos, and Cambodia. The Netherlands also had a pavilion showcasing the culture of the Dutch East Indies. Other countries from around the world were invited to France to showcase their achievements and cultures, and forty accepted the invitation, coming from Europe, Asia, North America, Central America, South America, and Africa.

Although many of the exposition buildings were not meant to last and were demolished shortly after the conclusion of the fair, some of the major structures built for the exposition which still survive today include the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais, the Pont Alexandre III, the Gare d'Orsay train station, and the Paris Métro Line 1, including the entrances designed by Hector Guimard.

This remarkable collection of postcards showcases all that the exposition had to offer. Many of the views are architectural, depicting the numerous buildings which were constructed especially for the fair. There is a mix of photo-postcards and drawings, many black-and-white and some colorful. There are color-printed examples, some hand-colored postcards, and a few with hand-applied embellishments. There is a whole colorful series from Au Bon Marché with views of "Le Vieux Paris", and many postcards showcase the numerous visitors to the exposition. There are also postcards from many of the colonial pavilions which showcase the interesting international architectural styles which were brought to the people of Paris, as well as the colonized populations "on display". Many of the postcards are unused, but a sizeable percentage have been written on, most but not all written in French.

A remarkable collection of postcards from a monumental world's fair at the turn of the century.

Book ID: 53633

Price: $3,000.00