Histoire de la Tour Eiffel

I know that the monument's heritage started its purpose of being the centerpiece of the 1889 World's Fair in Paris and to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution. The man credited of designing the world's most dignified structure is Gustave Eiffel. The architect had founded a company based on metal framing for the stability in structures such as bridges or buildings, his strongest forte was on railway bridges. His designs were respected for their strength and weightlessness.  Gustave did not only create his famous tower, but he also contributed to the metal framing of the Statue of Liberty and the Panama Canal.



First Floor Promenade during the 1889 Exposition

I learned that from 1886 to 1887, Gustave had to wait for contractors and government officials to sign documents for project approval. Construction finally began on January 28, 1887 on the four base foundations which will hold the tower together. Building the metal and iron structure will last only for two years in time for the World's Fair, the tower is made of three sections. The inauguration was a mesmerizing event with the hoisting of the French Tri-Couleur and the firing of a 25 gun salute. On that same day, Gustave climbed the 1710 steps to the top and he will die on his monument on December 27, 1923. At the end of the exposition the tower will attract nearly 2 million visitors and at the cost of only 43 Canadian Cents, I made that as a conversion from 2.00 French Francs. In the years to follow, many people will make the Eiffel Tower as the centerpiece of their achievements, talents, and romance.

Nazi Germans in Paris (June 23, 1940)



The landmark will be used as a printing press for newspapers, celebrity visits for Thomas Edison or the Prince of Wales, a meteorological laboratory, stair racing championships, restaurants and bars, and the installation of lighting which will make the tower sparkle at night. In the infancy of mass communication, a first radio transmission was made from Arlington Virginia to Paris in 1915, this a was milestone because people can communicate with each other between nations. The tower will even be used as a setting for the world's first films and as a billboard for advertisements. Theodur Wulf was a Christian scientist that discovered radiation emulating from the tower's top, which explains the theory of cosmic rays, I personally read that fact from a book about Paris.  The tower was threatened to the wrecking ball three times in the new century. In the second World War, the French army closed the tower to the public by cutting all of the ropes that run the elevators. Adolf Hitler threatened to destroy the Parisian landmark if a certain request was not granted, however the French army hoisted a giant tri-couleur before they fed the Nazi Germans a taste in their own medicine. In years to come, the tower will be used for Bastille Day (June 14), and New Year's Eve celebrations.



 

An airship near the Eiffel Tower in October 1901


Images Retrieved:

First Floor Promenade, Eiffel Tower, Paris Exposition, 1889. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2015, from http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002723519

Adolf Hitler and his entourage visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, 23 Jun 1940. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2015, from http://ww2db.com/image.php?image_id=11437

 

Airship, Early 20th Century. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airship