Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 07.djvu/412

* EXHIBITIONS. 36 I EXHIBITIONS. in Marietta. Ohio, in 1888; the Patent Centennial Celebration, held in Washington City in 1891; the National Export Exposition, lieid in Phila- delphia, Pa., in 1890; and the Printing Exposi- tion, held in New York City in 1900. Among the expositions, many of which were international, that have been held in recent years and were devoted to some special subject, may be mentioned the following: of articles connected with the leather industry, in Berlin in 1877; of all kinds of paper and pasteboard, in Berlin in 1878; of fisheries, in Berlin in 18S0; of elec- trical appliances, in Paris in 1881 ; of geographi- cal exhibits, in Venice in 1881 ; of cotton, in Atlanta, 6a., in 1881; of early data in American history, in Madrid in 1881 ; of fisheries, in Lon- don in 1883; of historical matters pertaining to Columbus and the discovery of America, in Mad- rid in 1882; of hygienic, chemical, pharmaceutical, and sanitary objects, in Naples in 1894; of German products and industries, in Berlin in 1S90; and of fisheries, in Bergen, Norwav, in 1898. The success of many of the earlier local expositions led to the inauguration of a series of expositions of international character, rhe first of these, which was announced in 1849, was held under the direction of the Society of Arts in London. The exhibition was opened on May 1st, and continued until October 15, 1851, during which time 6,039,195 persons visited it. The total number of exhibitors was 13,938, of whom 6556 were from for- eign countries, and the remainder from Great Britain and her colonies. The exposition was a financial success, the receipts from admission fees and subscriptions amounting to $2,444,718, while the expenses were nearly $1,600,000. The history of the exposition has been preserved in several works, and perhaps most fully in the thirteen volumes of reports issued by the commissioners. Its success led the Royal Dublin Society to make its exhibition in 1853 an international one. The exposition was opened on May 12, 1853. and for the first time the display of paintings as a regular feature was introduced. The total number of visitors was about one million, but the exposition proved a failure, as the receipts were less than one-half of the expenditures. During the same year an Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations was held in New York City. 'I'll'' site chosen was on Sixth Avenue be- tween Fortieth and Forty-second streets, the place being now known as Bryant Park. The principal building was in the form of a Greek cross surmounted by a dome in the centre, and the triangular spaces between the arms of the cross win- roofed over at the firs! story for the purpose of obtaining additional space. In the allotment of space one-fourth of the building was devoted t" the exhibits of the United States, one-fourth to those of Great Britain ami Ireland, one-fourth to Germany, France, ami Belgium, and the remainder to the exhibits of other na- tions. The exposition was opened with appro- priate exercises by President Pierce mi .Inly II. 1853. Tin' cost of I hi' building ami running ex penses was raised by the issuing of stock to the 100,000, but. notwithstanding the interest aroused, ii was a financial failure. The i" ' exposition of importance was that held in Paris in 1855, ami known as the I'uris International Exposition. The site chosen was the Champs Elysees, where the main building, in the form of a parallelogram 827 feet long by 354 feet in width, was erected as a permanent structure to receive future expositions or to serve for great public ceremonies and for civil ami military fetes. In addition to the Palais de l'lndustrie, as the main building was called, there were separate structures for the exhibition of the fine arts, agricultural implements and products, etc. This exposition began on May 15 and continued to November 15, 1855, during which time the visitors numbered about four and one-half millions. The industrial and art ex- hibits shown on this occasion were considered superior to those of all previous international expositions. The' expenses amounted to upward of $5,000,000, while the receipts were scarcely one-tenth of that amount. Several minor expositions were held in Europe during the years that followed, notably in Edin- burgh and Manchester, in Great Britain, and in Munich in Bavaria; but the next international exhibition of importance was held in London in 1862. The site chosen was a tract of land in South Kensington, covering an area of about 24 acres, where a permanent structure was erected. About one-half of the space was allotted to the exhibits of the United Kingdom and its colonies, and the other half to foreign countries, and the total number of exhibitors was 28.653. The ex- hibition was opened on May 1, and closed on November 1, 1862. The number of visitors is given as 6,211,103. The total cost and expenses of the exhibition amounted to nearty $5,000.000.. but the receipts failed to reach that sum by a comparatively small amount. Minor expositions, although of an interna- tional character, were held in Constantinople in 1S63, in Dublin and in Oporto in 1865, and in Stockholm and Melbourne in 1866. In 1864 it was decreed by Emperor Napoleon III. that an international exposition should be held in Paris in 1867. A commission was ap- pointed with Prince Jerome Napoleon as presi- dent, under whose direction the preliminary wink was begun. The site chosen was the Champs de Mars, the great military parade ground of Paris, which covered an area of 119 acres and to which was added the island of Billancourt, of 52 acres. The principal build- ing was rectangular in shape with rounded ends, having a length of 1608 feet and a width of 1247 feet, and in the centre was a pavilion surmounted by a dome and surrounded by a garden, 545 feet long and 184 feet wide, with a gallery built completely around it. In this build- ing were seven concentric galleries, the central Bpace in each of which was allotted to the ex liibits uf a country, while radial avenues extended ii the garden, separating the seel ions uf the several nations from each other. This arrange- ment was adopted so as to display similar goods from different nations in such a manner that they could be readily compared ami studied. In addition to the main building, there were nearly a hundred smaller structures on the grounds. There wen' 50.226 exhibitors, of whom 15,055 were from France ami her colonies, 6176 from Great Britain ami Ireland, ami 703 from the Tnilcd States. The funds for I he construe lion ami maintenance of the exposition consisted of grants of $1,165,020 from the French Govern- ment, a like amount from the city of Paris,