Guillaume Apollinaire’s “Ocean Letter” Features the Eiffel Tower at 300 meters high

Some Interesting Details Inaugurated on March 31,1889 built for the universal exhibition to celebrate the French Revolution of 1789 Contractor : Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923) Studies : begun in 1884; Construction : 1887 to 1889 ( 2 years, 2 months, 5 days ) Material : puddled iron Composition : 18,038 pieces; 2,500,000 rivets Weight of the metal structure : 7300 tons; Total weight : 10,100 tons Height in 1889 : 312.27 m (height with flagpole) Height : 324 m (height with antenna) Paint : 50 tons of paint every 7 years “On this inauguration day, Eiffel climbed the 1710 steps leading to the third level of the tower before unfurling the French flag and hearing the 21 canon salute marking the occasion. Eiffel later inscribed these words in a woman's fan : " the French flag is the only one with a 300 meter pole." The EiffelTower remained the highest monument in the world until the construction of New York's ChryslerBuilding in 1930.” (from the official Eiffel Tower website)

More Interesting Details-- Lighting: 352 projectors of 1000 watts Sparking lights : 20,000 bulbs, 800 fairy lights Revolving light : 4 floodlights equipped with 6000 watt xenon bulbs Numbers of visitors in 2000 : 6.315.324 Numbers of visitors up until 12/31/2000 : 192,120,123 Number of steps : 1665

“In 1889 the tower was a colossal fairground attraction, but during the 1920s it became a symbol of modernity and the avant-garde, inspiring poets such as Guillaume Apollinaire, film-makers, photographers and numerous painters.”

In a Station at the Metro

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