Access to the machine gallery - Expo Paris 1855

It remains for us to examine the machinery exhibition, located in the western half of the annex. The visitor will be obliged to return to the middle of the annex, where a large roundabout separates the gallery we have just visited from the machinery gallery. This roundabout is surrounded by benches for visitors to rest on. In the middle is a large cast iron basin, exhibited by Bechu fils, and fed by jets of water which rise from the Seine and shoot out from the corollas of an immense bronze bouquet of flowers which was made by H. Leclère, of Paris. The perfection of the workmanship and colouring leaves visitors in doubt as to whether the flowers are real. This space is framed by four cranes. The one on the right of the door to the Cours-la-Reine is a ship's crane, made of natural wood; the one next to the same door is a crane from Cavé's workshops, which can lift a weight of 6 tons, and between these two cranes there are two enormous blocks of red stone from Belgian quarries. On the other side is a huge machine that lifts thirty-six tons or thirty-six thousand kilograms. The counterpart is a crane made by Mr. Verry, of Nantes, which can be operated by men or by hydraulic power. Between these two cranes is a specimen of the new Wagiène and Ciray foundries, to which must be added an enormous block of calamine or zinc ore, exhibited by the famous Société de la Vieille-Montagne.

From there we enter directly into the gallery, where we will examine the machines of each country together, although this system will force us to retrace our steps several times.

©Promenades dans l'exposition de 1855