IMPORTANCE IN HISTORY What distinguishes the Eiffel Tower is not just its beauty or symbolism. Like the Colossus of Rhodes, it was a technological marvel of its time, pushing the limits of existing engineering knowledge. It is a little known fact that Eiffel helped build the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor. In 1885, he worked with Frederic Bartholdi to create the wrought-iron pylon inside the statue. Eiffel was duly recognized for his tremendous achievement. On the 200 franc banknote (the currency of France before the adoption of the euro in 2002), there was a depiction of Gustave Eiffel and on the reverse side, the Tower. It is a distinction afforded few engineering projects, and a sign of his place in French history. Even in France today, the top of the social hierarchy is not, as some might imagine, painters, designers, or aristocrats, but instead it is engineers. While standing at the top of his completed monument, Gustave Eiffel

9 Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower has made such an impression on the world that it was especially honored in Shanghai, China in a cultural exchange featuring the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, built for telecommunications, and one of the worlds highest buildings (468 meters or 1535 feet). Eiffel continues the tradition of Les Grands Travaux as a worthy successor to Pierre-Paul Riquet (the Canal des Duex Mer), Ferdinand de Lesseps (the Suez Canal), French-born Isambard Kingdom Brunel (the RMS Great Eastern and the Thames Tunnel), and more recently Louis Armand (modernizer of the French railways).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Books Clark, Ronald W. Works of Man. New York: Viking: 1985. Fletcher, Sir Banister. Sir Banister Fletchers A History of Architecture. Revised by J.C. Palmer. New York: Charles Scribners & Sons, 1975. Harris. S. The Tallest Tower: Eiffel and the Belle poque. Washington: Regnery Gateway, 1989. ISBN 0-89526-764-0. Hawkes, Nigel. Structures: Man-Made Wonders of the World. London: Marshall Editions, 1990. Internet For an update on whats new currently in events involving the Eiffel Tower, see: < (Accessed 2/05). For the construction process, especially the rivets and the elevators, see: < (Accessed 2/05) For a 3D model of the tower and many images, see: < (Accessed 11/04) For Eiffels advocacy of radio signals from the tower, see: < (Accessed 11/04) 10

Eiffel Tower For Eiffels physics and the use of air to strengthen high building construction, see: < (Accessed 2/05) For a more comprehensive bibliography of Gustave Eiffel and the Tower, featuring books, films and CDs, see: < (Accessed 2/05) Video Perkins, Jack. Modern Marvels: The Eiffel Tower. Modern Marvels, 1994. VHS ISBN 63034 20 699. 11 Eiffel Tower Document of Authorization Agreement Concerning the Eiffel Tower Paris, Imprimerie et Librairie Centrales Des Chemins De Fer, Imprimerie Chaix, Socit Anonyme au Capital de Six Millions, Rue Bergree, 20, 1889.