Terminus 1900: The Métro and the Universal Expositions in Fin-de-siècle Paris

Abstract

ABSTRACT In 1900, two spectacles of technological progress, artistic invention, and political ambition were unveiled in Paris: The universal exposition and Line 1 of the Paris Métro. This essay considers schemes for underground and elevated Métro systems that were published from 1870 to 1900 and argues that these speculative designs map new configurations of technology, urban space, and cultural identity onto fin-de-siècle Paris. Ultimately, Métro projects function as showcases of the modern city, and they draw on and participate in the promotional logic and narrative of national pride on display at the contemporary expositions.