The 1855 Paris Exposition was the first of ten major world's fairs held in Paris, showcasing agriculture, industry, and fine arts on the Champs-Élysées.
Key Facts
- Opening date
- 15 May 1855
- Closing date
- 15 November 1855
- Duration
- 6 months
- Venue
- Champs-Élysées, Paris
- Surviving structure
- Théâtre du Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées
- Paris expositions series
- First of ten major expositions (1855–1937)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Growing international interest in industrial and commercial exchange following the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London prompted France under Napoleon III to organize a world's fair. The French government sought to demonstrate national prestige and promote its agricultural, industrial, and artistic achievements on a global stage.
The Exposition Universelle of 1855 was held on the Champs-Élysées in Paris from 15 May to 15 November 1855. Officially titled the Exposition Universelle des produits de l'Agriculture, de l'Industrie et des Beaux-Arts de Paris 1855, it brought together international exhibitors across agriculture, industry, and the fine arts, drawing visitors from around the world.
The exposition established Paris as a recurring host of world's fairs, inaugurating a series of ten major expositions in the city through 1937. Its sole surviving physical remnant, the Théâtre du Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées, designed by Gabriel Davioud as the Panorama National, continues to stand as a lasting architectural trace of the event.