Title of the view:

"LES PAVILLONS ETRANGERS SUR LA RIVE GAUCHE DE LA SEINE"

Large antique view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, realised for the Exposition Universelle of 1889 in Paris. 

In front line, the boats on the Seine river and the foreign pavillons of the Exposition.

The Exposition Universelle was a world's fair held in Paris, from 5 May to 31 October 1889. It was the fourth of eight expositions held in the city between 1855 and 1937. It attracted more than thirty-two millions visitors.

The most famous structure created for the Exposition, and still remaining, is the Eiffel Tower, 312 metres high, realised by Gustave Eiffel. The Eiffel Tower was inaugurated on March 31, 1889, after two years, two months and five days of construction. Its ascent is open to the public from the following 15 May. Until the end of the Exposition Universelle on November 6, the Eiffel Tower welcomed two million visitors. It was a huge success.  

At the time of the Exhibition, France had a gigantic colonial empire, ten time larger than metropolitan France. Architects built individual pavilions for each colony. Many foreign countries participed to the exhibition. In the foreground, we can see the pavillons of some foreign countries.

The view is drawn by Ch. Clerice and engraved by Ruckert.