Expo世博会历史.docVIP

Photos: A Brief History of Worlds Fairs Hulton-Deutsch Collection / CORBIS Next Back London, 1851: The Crystal PalaceThe Worlds Fair — officially known as the Universal Exposition — is an international exhibition that has served a number of purposes since its inception. The first fair, the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Continents, was held in 1851 in Hyde Park, London. The fair with the lofty name functioned as a platform for nations to showcase their innovations in science and technology. Modern marvels ranged from the first public toilet to a precursor to the modern-day fax machine, but the one creation that literally overshadowed everything else was the Crystal Palace — a greenhouse-like structure fabricated from modular cast iron and glass that housed the entire exhibition.  Photos: A Brief History of Worlds Fairs Next Back 2 of 10 Hulton / Getty Images Philadelphia, 1876: HorsepowerSet to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the American Centennial Exhibition was the first official worlds fair held in the U.S. Among the exhibits was this extraordinary technical marvel, a 1,500-horsepower Corliss steam engine, which powered all the exhibits at the fair. It was the centerpiece of the opening festivities, illustrated above, during which it was turned on by then President Ulysses S. Grant. Photos: A Brief History of Worlds Fairs Next Back 3 of 10 Roger Viollet / Getty Images Next Back Paris, 1889: La Tour EiffelLike the 1876 Philadelphia Expo, Paris Exposition Universelle in 1889 commemorated a significant moment in the host nations history: the centennial of the storming of the Bastille — an event that has traditionally represented the start of the French Revolution. A replica of the infamous prison was featured at the fair, but the most revolutionary exhibit was a little project by engineer Gustave Eiffel. At 324 m (1,063 ft.), La Tour Eiffel (the Eiffel Tower) was the tallest standing structure