[Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris] - Drawing. Public domain image.

Notre-Dame de Paris, or "Our Lady of Paris", is a medieval cathedral on the Île de la Cité island in the historic center of Paris. The cathedral's construction was begun in 1160 and complete by 1260, though it was modified in the following centuries. In the 1790s, Notre-Dame suffered during the French Revolution and much of its religious artwork was destroyed. A major restoration took place between 1844 and 1864. The cathedral is one of the most widely recognized symbols of the city of Paris and the French nation. Artwork, relics, and other antiques stored at the cathedral include the Crown of Thorns which Jesus wore prior to his crucifixion and a piece of the cross on which he was crucified, a 13th-century organ, stained-glass windows, and bronze statues of the Twelve Apostles. While undergoing renovation and restoration, the roof of Notre-Dame caught fire on the evening of 15 April 2019 leading to the destruction of the flèche (the timber spire over the crossing) and most of the lead-covered wooden roof above the stone vaulted ceiling.

After the Paris exposition of 1889, France gloried in her triumph. The time between the expositions of 1889 and 1900 was an era of economic prosperity. When Germans announced they want to hold the next world expo, French politicians, industrialists, and intellectuals realized that the country which hosted the exposition at the threshold of the new century "will define the philosophy and express the synthesis of the 19th century." Participating nations architects were given complete freedom to construct their national pavilions in any style, and display whatever they wished therein. The sole limit was the space assigned to each. The buildings of the 1900 exposition fall into two distinct categories, each representing an essential element of the spirit of 1900: Traditionalist 19th century-styled and Art Nouveau - the new style appropriate to the twentieth century. The pavilion to symbolize the new era was the Palace of Electricity. Many expositions gave visitors an illusory trip to remote lands. The Trans-Siberian was a simulated Peking to Moscow railway and "Tour of the World," located at the base of the Eiffel Tower featured moving canvas of the sights and people throughout the world. More than 83,000 exhibitors and attendance of 51 million visitors made it the largest of any exposition. The 127 congresses had attracted over 80,000 participants. The Gare d'Orsay railroad station (now the Musée d'Orsay), and two of original entrances of Paris Métro stations by Hector Guimard., and the Pont d’Alexandre, the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais opened with the exposition. The exposition Universelle of 1900 was the last of its kind held in France.