22 September 1855

World Fair in Paris

The World Fair in Paris from May till October 1855 attracted five million visitors. Among them was Queen Victoria and, in September, the Algerian sultan Abd-El Kader. A visitor from the Netherlands is surprised by the permanent background music at the exhibition: "While one wanders about, one always hears a beautiful organ playing, I think this is the orgue expressif made by Alexandre Père et fils?" About the building (shown here) she notes: "In general, experts criticize the façade which is considered a total failure from the architectural point of view."

Today in the Biographies Dutch Labour Movement