See more
What was Gustave Eiffel's most famous invention?
Gustave Eiffel : the man who built the Eiffel Tower Also associated with Eiffel is of course his most famous work : the Eiffel Tower. The construction began on January, 28th 1887 and it was completed on March, 15th 1889. Know as the Iron Lady, it is now a worldwide symbol of France.
Who is Gustave Eiffel and what did he do?
He was one of the first engineers to employ compressed-air caissons in bridge building. He designed the movable dome of the observatory at Nice and the framework of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.
What did Gustave Eiffel do for the Statue of Liberty?
In 1881, Gustave Eiffel created the iron framework for Bartholdi's Statue of Liberty. The 46-metre high statue was intended for the New York harbour. It was designed like a bridge pier to resist the wind. It is lined with a secondary lattice structure with metal rods to hold the outer copper sheets.
What famous monuments did Gustave Eiffel build?
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel French civil engineer and architect is best known for the Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris, and the Statue of Liberty in New York. He specialized in metal constructions after college, and his early work focused chiefly on bridges.
What did Eiffel invent?
He is best known for the world-famous Eiffel Tower, designed by his company and built for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris, and his contribution to building the Statue of Liberty in New York....Gustave EiffelNotable workGarabit viaduct Eiffel Tower Statue of LibertySpouse(s)Marie Gaudelet (1862–1877)Children57 more rows
Who owns the Eiffel Tower?
Council of ParisEiffel Tower / OwnerToday, the City of Paris owns the Tower and has entrusted its management to a development company (SETE: Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel) of which it owns 99% of the capital. Bertrand Lemoine is an architect, engineer and historian.
How did Gustave Eiffel influence the world?
Eiffel built hundreds of metal structures of all kinds all around the world. Eiffel built hundreds of metal structures of all kinds, all around the world. Bridges, and in particular railway bridges, were his favourite field of work, but he also won renown for his metal structural work and industrial installations.
What came first the Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty?
The Statue of Liberty, built a few years before the Eiffel Tower was a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States to commemorate a lasting friendship. It was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, while its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel himself.
Who built Statue of Liberty?
Frédéric Auguste BartholdiStatue of Liberty / ArtistThe sculptor behind the Statue of Liberty, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, was born in 1834 in Colmar, France in the Alsace region on the border of Germany.
What are some fun facts about the Eiffel Tower?
10 Things You May Not Know About the Eiffel TowerThe Eiffel Tower was once yellow. ... It was built to celebrate the centennial of the French Revolution. ... For four decades it was the world's tallest structure. ... The Eiffel Tower was once the world's largest billboard. ... Gustave Eiffel designed part of another famous landmark.More items...•
How is Eiffel pronounced?
0:100:44How to Pronounce Eiffel - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo make sure to stay tuned to the channel in english this french name is generally said as eiffel asMoreSo make sure to stay tuned to the channel in english this french name is generally said as eiffel as in the eiffel tower eiffel but it is not how it is said in french.
Who made the Eiffel Tower and why?
Main figures. The Eiffel Tower was built by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, which was to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of the French Revolution.
Why did Gustave built the Eiffel Tower?
Why was the Eiffel Tower built? The Eiffel Tower was built to be one the main attractions at the Paris World's Fair in 1889. That year, the World's Fair covered the entire Champ de Mars in Paris and its focus was the vast constructions in iron and steel that were the great industrial advancement of that time.
Did Gustave Eiffel build the Statue of Liberty?
A prominent French architect and structural engineer, Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel (born on December 15, 1832 in Dijon, France) was the second designer of the internal structural elements of the Statue of Liberty.
What did Gustave Eiffel design?
Garabit viaductPuente EiffelPuente María PíaÉglise Notre‑Dame des ChampsParadis LatinPuente del HachoGustave Eiffel/Structures
Is Eiffel based on a true story?
The film received glowing reviews after its spring premiere at the Alliance Française French Film Festival in Australia, but Eiffel's biographer, Christine Kerdellant, says the script plays with the true story, which is in her book La Vraie Vie de Gustave Eiffel (The Real Life of Gustave Eiffel), published by Robert ...
Who is Gustave Eiffel?
Gustave Eiffel, in full Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, (born Dec. 15, 1832, Dijon, France—died Dec. 28, 1923, Paris ), French civil engineer renowned for the tower in Paris that bears his name.
What did Eiffel do to start the world?
Eiffel startled the world with the construction of the Eiffel Tower (1887–89), which brought him the nickname “magician of iron.”. It also directed his interest to problems of aerodynamics, and he used the tower for a number of experiments.
What did Eiffel do after graduation?
AbleStock.com/Jupiterimages. After graduation from the College of Art and Manufacturing in 1855, Eiffel began to specialize in metal construction, especially bridges. He directed the erection of an iron bridge at Bordeaux in 1858, followed by several others, and designed the lofty, arched Gallery of Machines for the Paris Exhibition of 1867.
Who designed the retail shop in Paris?
In Paris, Gustave Eiffel, together with the architect Louis-Auguste Boileau, gave the retail shop a new and exciting setting in the Bon Marché (1876), where merchandise was displayed around the perimeters of skylighted, interior courts. The United States saw nothing comparable, but cast-iron columns and arches appeared…
Why was Gustave Eiffel important?
Gustave Eiffel's career was a result of the Industrial Revolution. For a variety of economic and political reasons, this had been slow to make an impact in France, and Eiffel had the good fortune to be working at a time of rapid industrial development in France. Eiffel's importance as an engineer was twofold.
Who is Gustave Eiffel?
Gustave Eiffel. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Jump to navigation Jump to search. French civil engineer and architect. For other uses, see Gustave Eiffel (disambiguation). Gustave Eiffel. Eiffel in 1888, photographed by Félix Nadar. Born.
Why did Gustave Eiffel live with his grandmother?
Due to his mother's business commitments, Gustave spent his childhood living with his grandmother, but nevertheless remained close to his mother, who was to remain an influential figure until her death in 1878. The business was successful enough for Catherine Eiffel to sell it in 1843 and retire on the proceeds.
What was Gustave Eiffel's father's job?
At the time of Gustave's birth his father, an ex-soldier, was working as an administrator for the French Army; but shortly after his birth his mother expanded a charcoal business she had inherited from her parents to include a coal-distribution business, and soon afterwards his father gave up his job to assist her. Due to his mother's business commitments, Gustave spent his childhood living with his grandmother, but nevertheless remained close to his mother, who was to remain an influential figure until her death in 1878. The business was successful enough for Catherine Eiffel to sell it in 1843 and retire on the proceeds. Eiffel was not a studious child, and thought his classes at the Lycée Royal in Dijon boring and a waste of time, although in his last two years, influenced by his teachers for history and literature, he began to study seriously, and he gained his baccalauréats in humanities and science. An important part in his education was played by his uncle, Jean-Baptiste Mollerat, who had invented a process for distilling vinegar and had a large chemical works near Dijon, and one of his uncle's friends, the chemist Michel Perret. Both men spent a lot of time with the young Eiffel, teaching him about everything from chemistry and mining to theology and philosophy.
Why was Eiffel chosen to build the statue of liberty?
Some work had already been carried out by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, but he had died in 1879. Eiffel was selected because of his experience with wind stresses. Eiffel devised a structure consisting of a four legged pylon to support the copper sheeting which made up the body of the statue. The entire statue was erected at the Eiffel works in Paris before being dismantled and shipped to the United States.
What is the Eiffel Tower?
He is best known for the world-famous Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris, and his contribution to building the Statue of Liberty in New York. After his retirement from engineering, Eiffel focused on research into meteorology and aerodynamics, making significant contributions in both fields.
Where was Gustave Eiffel born?
Early life. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel was born in France, in the Côte-d'Or, the first child of Catherine-Mélanie (née Moneuse) and Alexandre Bönickhausen dit Eiffel. He was a descendant of Jean-René Bönickhausen, who had emigrated from the German town of Marmagen and settled in Paris at the beginning of the 18th century.
What was Eiffel's job?
As the business of the company declined, he resigned in 1865. He started working independently as a consulting engineer and got involved in construction of the railway station at Toulouse and at Agen.
Where was Eiffel born?
He was born as Bonickhausen dit Eiffel on December 15, 1832 in Djion, France, as the eldest child of Alexandre Bonickhausen dit Eiffel and Catherine-Mélanie. The family came from a region near the Eifel Mountains and adopted the name ‘Eiffel’.
How long did it take to build the Eiffel Tower?
He took two years to construct the Eiffel Tower, whose height is 984 feet. It is not only a prominent tourist attraction in France but is also considered a work of art today by the Parisans and critics. He earned a contract in 1887 for building locks for the Panama Canal.
When did Eiffel and Cie start?
On October 6, 1868, he along with Théophile Seyrig formed the company ‘Eiffel et Cie’ and received several important projects.
Who was the chief engineer of the company that built the railway bridge over the river Garonne?
In 1857, Nepveu got a contract for construction of a railway bridge over the river Garonne, Bordeaux, and Eiffel was given the job of assembling the metalwork. Later from March 1860 Eiffel managed the whole project following Nepveu’s resignation. Eiffel was made the chief engineer of ‘Compagnie Belge de Matériels de Chemin de Fer’ and was further promoted. As the business of the company declined, he resigned in 1865.
What was the name of the company that Ferdinand de Lesseps built the locks for?
His reputation was hurt after he was charged of misappropriation of funds along with Ferdinand De Lesseps, the head of the ‘French Panama Canal Company’ and Lesseps’s son following liquidation of the company.
Overview
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel was a French civil engineer. A graduate of École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he made his name with various bridges for the French railway network, most famously the Garabit Viaduct. He is best known for the world-famous Eiffel Tower, designed by his company and built for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris, and his contribution to building the Statu…
Early life
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel was born in France, in the Côte-d'Or, the first child of Catherine-Mélanie (née Moneuse) and Alexandre Bonickhausen dit Eiffel. He was a descendant of Marguerite Frédérique (née Lideriz) and Jean-René Bönickhausen and who had emigrated from the German town of Marmagen and settled in Paris at the beginning of the 18th century. The family adopted the name Eiffel as a reference to the Eifel mountains in the region from which they had come. Althoug…
Early career
After graduation, Eiffel had hoped to find work in his uncle's workshop in Dijon, but a family dispute made this impossible. After a few months working as an unpaid assistant to his brother-in-law, who managed a foundry, Eiffel approached the railway engineer Charles Nepveu, who gave Eiffel his first paid job as his private secretary. However, shortly afterwards Nepveu's company w…
Eiffel et Cie
At the end of 1866 Eiffel managed to borrow enough money to set up his own workshops at 48 Rue Fouquet in Levallois-Perret. His first important commission was for two viaducts for the railway line between Lyon and Bordeaux, and the company also began to undertake work in other countries, including St. Mark's Cathedral in Arica, Peru, which was an all-metal prefabricated building, manufac…
Later career
After his retirement from the Compagnie des Etablissements Eiffel, Eiffel went on to do important work in meteorology and aerodynamics. Eiffel's interest in these areas was a consequence of the problems he had encountered with the effects of wind forces on the structures he had built.
His first aerodynamic experiments, an investigation in the air resistance of surf…
Influence
Gustave Eiffel's career was a result of the Industrial Revolution. For a variety of economic and political reasons, this had been slow to make an impact in France, and Eiffel had the good fortune to be working at a time of rapid industrial development in France. Eiffel's importance as an engineer was twofold. Firstly he was ready to adopt innovative techniques first used by others, such as his …
Works
• Railway station at Toulouse, France (1862)
• Railway station at Agen, France.
• Church of Notre Dame des Champs, Paris (1867)
• Synagogue in Rue de Pasarelles, Paris (1867)
Protection of Gustave Eiffel's heritage
A number of works of Gustave Eiffel are in danger today. Some have already been destroyed, like in Vietnam. A proposal to demolish the railway bridge of Bordeaux (also known as the "passerelle St Jean"), the first major work of Gustave Eiffel, resulted in a large response from the public. Actions to protect the bridge were taken as early as 2002 by the "Association of the Descendants of Gustave Eiffel", joined from 2005 onwards by the Association "Sauvons la Passerelle Eiffel" (…