The date was April 20th, 1835.
Paris had not seen a gathering like this before.
From the early hours of the morning, carriages, steam omnibuses, and Niépce automobiles streamed toward the exposition grounds near the Champ de Mars. Delegations from Europe, the Americas, the Ottoman domains, Asia, and Africa moved beneath banners bearing their national colors. Industrialists stood beside diplomats. Engineers stood beside generals. Merchants stood beside scholars.
At the center of the grounds rose the main ceremonial stage.
