International Exposition of Electricity, Paris
Encyclopedia
The first International Exposition of Electricity in Paris ran from August 15, 1881 through to November 15, 1881 at the Palais de l'Industrie on the Champs-Elysees
. It served to display the advances in electrical technology since the small electrical display at the 1878 Universal Exposition
. Exhibitors came from the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Italy and Holland, as well as from France.
This show was a great stir. The public could admire the dynamo
of Zénobe Gramme
, the incandescent light bulb
s of Thomas Edison
, the Théâtrophone
, the electric tramway of Werner von Siemens , the telephone
of Alexander Graham Bell
, an electrical distribution network by Marcel Deprez, and an electric car
by Gustave Trouvé
. As part of the exhibition, the first International Congress of Electricians, which met in the halls of the Palais du Trocadero
, presented numerous scientific and technical papers, including definitions of the standard practical units volt
, ohm
and ampere
.
George Berger was the Commissioner General. Aside from the provision of the building by the French government, the exhibition was privately financed. Organizers would donate profits to scientific works in the public interest.
Adolphe Cochery, Minister of Posts and Telegraphs of the time, had initially suggested that an international exposition should be held.
Among the exhibits were:
Electric lighting was one of key developments on display at the exposition, with up to 2500 electric lamps in use. Comparative testing of Edison, Swan, Maxim, and Lane-Fox incandescent lamps
were conducted by William Crookes
to establish the most efficient form of lamp.
Champs-Élysées
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a prestigious avenue in Paris, France. With its cinemas, cafés, luxury specialty shops and clipped horse-chestnut trees, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets and one of the most expensive strip of real estate in the world. The name is...
. It served to display the advances in electrical technology since the small electrical display at the 1878 Universal Exposition
Exposition Universelle (1878)
The third Paris World's Fair, called an Exposition Universelle in French, was held from 1 May through to 10 November 1878. It celebrated the recovery of France after the 1870 Franco-Prussian War.-Construction:...
. Exhibitors came from the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Italy and Holland, as well as from France.
This show was a great stir. The public could admire the dynamo
Dynamo
- Engineering :* Dynamo, a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator* Dynamo theory, a theory relating to magnetic fields of celestial bodies* Solar dynamo, the physical process that generates the Sun's magnetic field- Software :...
of Zénobe Gramme
Zénobe Gramme
Zénobe Théophile Gramme was a Belgian electrical engineer. He invented the Gramme machine, a type of direct current dynamo capable of generating smoother and much higher voltages than the dynamos known to that point.In 1873 he and Hippolyte Fontaine accidentally discovered that the device was...
, the incandescent light bulb
Incandescent light bulb
The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe makes light by heating a metal filament wire to a high temperature until it glows. The hot filament is protected from air by a glass bulb that is filled with inert gas or evacuated. In a halogen lamp, a chemical process...
s of Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
, the Théâtrophone
Théâtrophone
Théâtrophone was a telephonic distribution system that allowed the subscribers to listen to opera and theatre performances over the telephone lines. The théâtrophone evolved from a Clément Ader invention, which was first demonstrated in 1881, in Paris...
, the electric tramway of Werner von Siemens , the telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
of Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone....
, an electrical distribution network by Marcel Deprez, and an electric car
Electric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
by Gustave Trouvé
Gustave Trouvé
Gustave Trouvé was a French electrical engineer of the 19th century. His inventions include:* First outboard motorboat* First electric powered automobile* Gunpowder powered ornithopter in 1870...
. As part of the exhibition, the first International Congress of Electricians, which met in the halls of the Palais du Trocadero
Trocadéro
The Trocadéro, , site of the Palais de Chaillot, , is an area of Paris, France, in the 16th arrondissement, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. The hill of the Trocadéro is the hill of Chaillot, a former village.- Origin of the name :...
, presented numerous scientific and technical papers, including definitions of the standard practical units volt
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
, ohm
Ohm
The ohm is the SI unit of electrical resistance, named after German physicist Georg Simon Ohm.- Definition :The ohm is defined as a resistance between two points of a conductor when a constant potential difference of 1 volt, applied to these points, produces in the conductor a current of 1 ampere,...
and ampere
Ampere
The ampere , often shortened to amp, is the SI unit of electric current and is one of the seven SI base units. It is named after André-Marie Ampère , French mathematician and physicist, considered the father of electrodynamics...
.
George Berger was the Commissioner General. Aside from the provision of the building by the French government, the exhibition was privately financed. Organizers would donate profits to scientific works in the public interest.
Adolphe Cochery, Minister of Posts and Telegraphs of the time, had initially suggested that an international exposition should be held.
Among the exhibits were:
- Apparatus for production and transmission of electricity,
- natural and artificial magnets, and compasses,
- devices used in the study of electricity,
- many applications of electricity (sound, heat, light, electroplating, electrochemistry, signage, power,industrial applications, agricultural and domestic),
- lightning,
- old instruments in connection with electricity.
Electric lighting was one of key developments on display at the exposition, with up to 2500 electric lamps in use. Comparative testing of Edison, Swan, Maxim, and Lane-Fox incandescent lamps
Incandescent light bulb
The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe makes light by heating a metal filament wire to a high temperature until it glows. The hot filament is protected from air by a glass bulb that is filled with inert gas or evacuated. In a halogen lamp, a chemical process...
were conducted by William Crookes
William Crookes
Sir William Crookes, OM, FRS was a British chemist and physicist who attended the Royal College of Chemistry, London, and worked on spectroscopy...
to establish the most efficient form of lamp.