I haven't figured out a good punchline to that title but it sure does sound like it could be funny!
For those of you who don't know, I LOVE board games! I love everything about them...being able to be competitive, spending fake money, winning REAL money from family members, being able to pull out random trivia that I know. My family is notorious for being competitive and for playing games so I guess it runs in the blood. One game that I've only played once but is one of my favorites of all time is TriBond. It's definitely a game that makes you think. The point of the game is to find the common bond between 3 things.
Example: Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, and Panama Canal
What bonds these three things together? Well, I'm SO glad you asked (little shout out to my ACS peeps). The construction of all three of these major monuments have a common link, a man by the name of Gustave Eiffel. Eiffel, although primarily known for the revolutionary tower that bears his name, also contributed greatly to other famous monuments in the 1870-80's.
With the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty this past weekend (October 28th), it seems fitting to delve a little deeper into this structural savant.
The second half of the 19th century brought with it a wave of products, structures and new landmarks, all made possible by the innovations of the Industrial Revolution. The manufacturing of steel, iron and other refined materials changed the game in architecture. It even changed the way you give a simple gift to a friend. And, was what the Statue of Liberty was, a gift from France to the United States that embodied their mutual efforts toward freedom and liberty for all. It would only be fitting that this gift would coincide with the centennial anniversary of the signing of the ultimate sign of freedom in the United States, the Declaration of Independence. Frederic Bartholdi took up the project but due to many factors (pondering of the idea for 6 years, some guy named Napoleon starting wars, the usual...etc) it would not be delivered by the desired anniversary date but it would come to be. However, this would not be a task for one man. Many experts in the field and many deep pockets would be necessary to pull off a woman of this size. Gustave Eiffel, a young, innovative structural engineer tagged in with the death of the architect of the head and arm. Eiffel used new and unfamiliar technology but transformed the plans into the "Lady Liberty" we know today. Throughout the process, this bold project was a sensation around the world as Bartholdi brought the constructed head of the statue to the Exposition Universelle 1878 (Paris World's Fair). Eiffel would be putting his name on his greatest masterpiece eleven years later at the next Paris World's Fair.
While riding the high of innovation in building new structures include the Statue of Liberty and a successful attempt with the Suez Canal, French representatives spearheaded by Ferdinand de Lesseps (Yes, I know that name sounds familiar and yes, you are right...this is the long ago ancestor of the husband of the "Countess" Luann from the Real Housewives of New York...he also contributed to funding the Statue of Liberty from France. However, I do not want to feed into her ego. She's not even a Countess anymore! I digress...) De Lesseps entrusted the main design with non other than Gustave Eiffel. He carried the weight of the French design and was embattled in scandal when the organization that was formed for the project went through all of their money with not much progress to show for it. Eventually the organization folded. The United States fought to revive the project but was entrenched in its own battle of Panama vs. Nicaragua. Both countries held the isthmus necessary to create a canal that would allow access between the two major oceans. This would allow for a quicker trip via boat from one end of the U.S. the other, which was particularly important with the discovery of gold in California only a few decades before. (CONTROVERSY ALERT: Many make the argument that Wall Street moguls stood to make a large profit with the U.S. bid for the canal. Check out How Wall Street Created a Nation: J.P. Morgan, Teddy Roosevelt and the Panama Canal by Ovidio Espino) The canal as we know it now, has transformed travel, trade and commerce. The failed French attempt only spurred the nation on more to build and create and show the world their prominence.
It's hard to imagine the preparation and excitement of a World's Fair with our interconnected globe these days. I would like to think it to be comparable to something like the premiere of a Harry Potter movie. Transcendent of age, gender, race, religion or creed and heightened anticipation of a life-changing event....yep, that sounds about right. The Tower, similar to it's American counterpart, sought to represent something larger than even its own stature. The 1889 Paris World's Fair was to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, France's own version of freedom and liberty. This monument however was delivered on time, but not without a few obstacles along the way. Eiffel, after beating out hundreds of other architects and engineers in a design competition, was met with much resistance from the French people, with many noting that the Tower was "ugly" or an "eyesore". It's hard to believe in our world today that France could be anything but proud of their most famous site. Eiffel seemed to turn the tide within Paris, presenting a stunning and almost unreal structure at the Fair. His design and technology baffled those around the world and eternally put pride in the hearts' of the French.
Want an awesome book about the building of the Eiffel Tower?? Look no further than to Jill Jonnes' Eiffel's Tower: And the World's Fair Where Buffalo Bill Beguiled Paris, the Artists Quarreled, and Thomas Edison Became a Count
So, there you have it...a little "monumental" trivia for the next time you decide to hop on over to France.
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