This exhibit, based primarily on materials in the Roxane Debuisson Collection on Paris History at Stanford University Libraries, highlights  the role of Paris as a fertile environment for technological, commercial, and artistic change through the lens of the industrial and universal expositions held in the city at regular intervals between 1798 and 1900. These events, held for the express purpose of establishing France’s world status as a modern nation, promoted the idea of France, and especially Paris, as a place of  technological, commercial, and cultural progress, by creating an event for artisans and industrialists to show their newest and most innovative products to a large, and international public. 

The universal expositions had lasting effects on Paris itself, changing the culture, commerce, and appearance of the city. Many of the monuments that we associate with the city today - the Eiffel Tower, the Paris Metro, and the Grand and Petit Palais, were built expressly for these events. While travellers had long visited Paris, these expositions opened the city to massive numbers of new visitors, new types of leisure experiences, and new products from around the world. Using a wide variety of materials from the Roxane Debuisson Collection on Paris History, this exhibit showcases the universal expositions through the following themes: innovation and industry; commerce; monuments and infrastructure; leisure and the lived experience; and the world in Paris. 

Roxane Debuisson had an indefatigable appetite for seeking out and acquiring materials documenting the changing urban fabric and commercial life of Paris. Her collecting activities spanned over 60 years, from 1957, when she purchased her first book on the history of Paris, until 2018, the year of her passing. Her collection centered on the commercial, cartographic, and architectural history of the city, with a focus on the long 19^th century. She documented this history through books, postcards, stereoview cards, photographs, maps, engravings, periodicals, and invoices from shops around Paris. Stanford University Libraries acquired her collection in 2020.