NOTES
1 The Illustrated Paris Universal Exposition, May 7, 1878, page 3
2 A. Picard, L'Exposition Universelle Internationale de 1889 (Paris, 1891), Vol. I, page 235
3 The Illustrated Paris Universal Exposition, May 21, 1878, page 26
4 quoted in The Illustrated Paris Universal Exposition, June 29th, 1878, page 87
5 For a full account of this misadventure, see The Chefs-d'Oeuvre d'Art of the International Exposition, 1878, edited by Edward Strahan (Philadelphia: George Barrie, n.d.). The sculptor himself, far from being offended by the incident, referred to the scandal as "the highest compliment ever paid to my work."
6 Strahan, writing in The Chefs-d'Oeuvre d'Art, simply said of the Trocadero: "It is not happy." The passage of time did not improve public opinion of this unhappy edifice. For a vicious description of the old Trocadero in 1937, see Louis Gillet's epithets in La Revue Musicale, June-July, 1937, page 99: "a fat, misshapen potbelly. . . a monstrous snail. . . a godawful amalgamation of crab, antelope, and turtle. . . a vacuous idiot with a pair of asses ears. . ."
7 Exposition Universelle Internationale de 1878, Paris. Rapports de Jury Internationale; Jules Simon, general editor; (Paris, 1880), page 134. For a complete listing of all the congresses and their topics of discussion, see the United States Commissioners' Report, Volume I, pages 455 ff.
8 The Illustrated Paris Universal Exposition, November 30, 1878, page 351
9 ibid., page 351
10 This idea was brought to life in part at the 1900 exposition universelle, in the Vieux Paris section designed by the fantasy artist and writer Robida.
11 Reading through the various European descriptions of American culture present at the exposition, the reader begins to get a sensed of the emerging view of the United States as a country of great promise and barbaric excess. The bar, for example, with its profusion of exotic drinks — the "Brandy Smash" and "Mint Julip" — and raucous "superabundance of diabolic music — was the typical fairgoer's encounter with popular American culture at the 1878 exposition. See the "Impressions d'un Flaneur," published in L'Exposition Universelle de 1878, Journal Hebdomadaire, number 37, page 295.
12 The Illustrated Paris Universal Exposition, August 24, pages 185-186
13 Report of the United States Commisssioners to the Paris Universal Exposition, 1878 (Washington, D.C., 1880), Vol. II, page 156
14 ibid.
15 Raymond Isay, Panorama des Expositions Universelles; Paris: Gallimard; pages 150-151
16 Illustrated Paris Universal Exposition, Sept. 14, 1878, page 218
17 L'Exposition Universelle de Paris, Journal Hebdomadaire, Number 3, pages 23-24
18 Illustrated Paris Universal Exposition, October 5, page 263
19 The Chefs-d'Oeuvre d'Art, page 85
20 The Chefs-dOeuvre d'Art, page 86
21 For a full treatment of the story of this remarkable work and its passage from the 1878 exposition to the San Francisco Midwinter International exposition, and finally to the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, see my essay, "The Doré Vase," in World's Fair, Volume III, Number 2, 1983; also L'Exposition Universelle de 1878, Journal Hebdomadaire, number 40, page 314-315.
22 Today, this magnificent work graces the central foyer of the Petit Palais in Paris.
22A For a comparison with a very similar work, executed at the same time but in a very different spirit, see Rodin's A Call to Arms
23 It should be noted that not all art critics were swept away by Mercié's paean. William Storey, the U.S. Fine Arts Commissioner, found the work "full of flutter, display, and excess of action, and is deficient in sobriety, simplicity, and that self-restraint essential to a great work in sculpture." (Report, II, p. 121)
24 The elephant, horse, and rhinoceros can be seen today outside the main entrance to the Orsay Museum. Across the terrace from these works are six statues from the 1878 exposition representing Europe, Asia, Africa, the Orient, North America and South America.
Statistical Appendix
Opening Date: May 1, 1878
Closing Date: October 31, 1878
Size of Site: 185 acres
Official Attendance: 16,032,000
Exhibitors: 52,835
Expenses: 55,775,000
Receipts: 24,250,000
Loss to Government: 31,000,000 francs (exact estimate vary)
Top Officials:
Jean Baptiste Krantz, Commissaire général
Charles Dietz-Monnin, Directeur de la Section française
George Berger, Directeur des Sections étrangères
M. le marquis de Chennevières, Directeur des Beaux-Arts
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
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Bouin, Philippe and Christian Chanut. Histoire Française des Foires et des Expositons Universelles (Paris, 1980)
Congress of Architects, Second International. Congrès internationale des architects, tenu à Paris, du 29 juillet au 3 aout 1878 (Paris 1881).
Glucq. L'album de l'Exposition: Vues intérieures et extérieures de Palais de l'Exposition (Paris, 1878).
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Illustrated Catalogue of the Paris Universal Exposition (London: 1878).
Illustrated Paris Universal Exposition (London, 1878); English version of L'Exposition Universelle de 1878, illustrée, May 7, 1878 through Novermber 30, 1878.
Isay, Raymond. Panorama des Expositions Universelles (Paris, 1937).
Jouin, M.H. Notice Historique et analytique des peintures, sculptures, tapisseries, dessins, etc. exposés dans les galeries des portraits nationaux au Palais du Trocadero (Paris, 1879).
Krantz, Jean-Baptiste. Rapport administratif sur l'Exposition Universelle de 1878 (Paris, 1881)
Lamarre, C., and A. Frout de Fontpertius. Le Chine et le Japon à l'Exposition de 1878 (Paris, 1878).
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Norton, F.H. Illustrated Historical Register of the Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia, 1876, and of the Exposition universelle, Paris, 1878 (New York, 1879).
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Society of Arts. Artisan Reports on the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1878 (London, 1879).
Strahan, Edward, editor. The Chefs-d'Oeuvre d'Art of the International Exhibition (Philadelphia, n.d.).
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ARTICLES
"Buildings and Arrangement of the Paris Exposition," Cassell's Magazine of the Arts, I, pp. 5, 29.
"Buildings of the Paris Exposition of 1878," American Architect, I, p. 357.
Chandler, Arthur. "The Poem of the Vine," World's Fair, Volume III, Number 2, p. 12.
— "Heroism in Defeat: The Paris Exposition Universelle of 1878," ibid., Volume VI, Number 4, p. 9.
Edwards, M.B. "Social Aspects of the Paris Exposition," Fraser's Magazine, XCVIII, p. 208.
"Exposition universelle de Paris en 1878; concours ouvert pour l'édification des batiments destinés à l'Exposition. Résultat du concours," Encyclopédie d'architecture, ser. 2, V (1876), p. 65.
Falke, H.J. von. "Art Industry in the Paris Exposition of 1878," Penn Monthly, X, p. 50.
"Fine Arts at the Paris Exposition of 1878," Cassell's Magazine of Art, II, p. 15.
Gindriez, C. "The Paris Exposition of 1878," International Review, V, p. 470.
"A Glance at the Paris Exposition of 1878," Victoria Magazine, XXXI, p. 139.
Godkin, E.L. "Politics of the Paris Exposition," Nation, XXVI, p. 337.
Hamerton, P.G. "American and English Painting at the Paris Exposition of 1878," International Review, VI, pp. 113, 547.
"Industrial Art at the Paris Exposition," Cassell's Magazine of Art, I, p. 66.
Knight, E.H. "Machinery at the Paris Exposition of 1878," Lippincott's Magazine, XXII, p. 755.
— "The Paris Exposition of 1878," ibid., p. 155.
Laugel, A. "The Paris Exposition," Nation, XXVII, p. 39.
Lejeune, L. "Fine Arts at the Paris Exposition, 1878," Lippincott's Magazine, XXII, p. 602.
McCormick, R.C. "American Success at the Paris Exposition," North American Review, CXXIX, p. 1.
Matthews, J.B. "The Paris Exposition of 1878," Nation, XXVII, p. 143.
Morison, G.S. "Machinery at the Paris Exposition of 1878," ibid., p. 237.
"The Paris Exposition of 1878" — anonymous articles published in:
— Appleton's Journal, XX, p. 66.
— Atlantic Monthly, XLII, p. 585, and XLIII, p. 41.
— Dublin Review, LXXXIV, p. 113.
"Pictures at the Paris Exposition of 1878," Atlantic Monthly, XLII, p. 707.
Royle, J.B. "The Paris Universal Exposition," British Almanac Companion 1876, p. 66.
Rudler and delmas. "Exposition universelle de 1878, étude sur les constructions du Palais du Champ de Mars," Encyclopédie d'architecture, ser. 2, VII, pp. 32, 62, 73, 93.
"Sculpture at the Paris Exposition," Cassell's Magazine of Art, III, p. 256.
Stillman, W.J. "Fine Arts at the Paris Exposition of 1878: American Painting," Nation, XXVII, p. 210.
Sturgis, R. "Ceramic Ware at the Paris Exposition," ibid., p. 269.
— "Fine Arts at the Paris Exposition," Scribner's Monthly, XVIII, p. 161.
— "Fine Arts at the Paris Exposition: American Painting," Nation, XXVII, p. 331.
— "Fine Arts at the Paris Exposition: French Painting," ibid., pp. 174, 222.
— "Floral Displays at the Paris Exposition," ibid., p. 191.
— "French and English House Furniture at the Paris Exposition," ibid., XXVIII, p. 46.
— "The Paris Exposition of 1878," ibid., XXVII, pp. 94, 112, 129.
— "Special Exhibition of the City of Paris," ibid., p. 253.
Thompson, S.P. "Artisan reports on the Paris Exposition," Nature, XXI, p. 397.
"The Universal Exhibition, 1878," Leisure Hour, XXVII, pp. 327, 335, 416.
Verney, La