From the Eiffel Tower to the Javanese Dancer: Envisioning Cultural Globalization at the 1889 Paris Exhibition.
2008; Society for History Education; Volume: 41; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
1945-2292
Autores Tópico(s)History, Culture, and Diplomacy
ResumoARGUABLY THE TWO MAIN ATTRACTIONS for visitors to the 1889 Exposition Universelle (Universal Exposition), the Eiffel Tower and the live dancers from the Dutch colony of Java make for a provocative juxtaposition. Constructed expressly for the 1889 Exhibition, Gustave Eiffel's 106-story iron lattice tower became not only the world's tallest structure at its debut, it also took on iconic status as a marker of French national prestige in its centenary year. More broadly, the tower signified progress and optimism (as well as a creeping anxiety) in Europe's age of industry and empire.' While their renown has proven a less enduring one, the Javanese dancers at the Exhibition attracted an at-times almost delirious attention and fascination among the throngs of spectators, journalists, and artists who witnessed their live performances of courtly dance and music. As a key component of the living exhibits of colonial natives organized for the Exhibition, the dancers were intended both to inform and to entertain. Framed as an attraction, they collapsed the geographic distance separating Europe from its colonies while paradoxically underscoring cultural differences between the two. That those attending the Exhibition might fixate in particular on these two attractions invites reflection upon their possible tensions and affinities The History Teacher Volume 41 Number 3 May 2008 C Patrick Young
Referência(s)