World's Faire

World's Faire Journal

Today, I went to the world faire and learned about many new inventions that can advance the world around us. The first one I learned about was the bicycle. I learned that the bicycle was inspired by the "dandy horse" that was made completely out of wood. One fact I found interesting about this was that there was an entirely separate bicycle that was made solely for women. The classic bicycle was the "Penny Farthing" bicycle, where the front wheel was very big and could ride at very high speeds. Another interesting booth I visited had to do with Fine arts. I learned about many different artistic movements including symbolism, which was very popular at the time. Symbolism expresses more emotions than Impressionism, which was another popular style, which included brighter and sketchier colors and strokes. Another topic I learned about at the Fine Arts booth was about Romanticism. This stresses dark colors and contrast that were also very nationalistic and patriotic. There were many influential artists that shaped the view of Fine Arts at the time. These included Pierre Bonard and Paul Signac. One aspect I found interesting was that the development of fine arts at the time increased literacy rates and encouraged people to read more. Another interesting booth I visited had to do with the building and development of the Eiffel Tower. I learned that the Eiffel Tower was built by Gustavus Eiffel in a competition to build an entrance to the faire. The construction of the monument used methods including puddle irons, and took a little over two years to complete construction. Because many people wanted to go to the top of the tower, they built five original elevators to help people safely reach the higher levels. It eventually built value as a radiotelegraph station, and now has a world- renowned legacy. The last and final booth I visited was called "Art Nouveau". At this booth, I learned more about artistic styles that were more international, and the concept of "New Art". Many influential artists contributed to this movement including Alphonse Mucha and Antonio Gaudí. They both had very individual and unique styles that defined their international art. Their legacy lived on, as they still inspire many artists today. One aspect I found interesting was that this newly developed design concept was created as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution since it included new innovations and promoted cohesiveness.