Framing the Market at the Paris Universal Expositions

Abstract

ABSTRACT From 1855 to 1900, the Paris expositions gradually included an increasing number of commercial spots and venues operated by private companies and entrepreneurs. This article examines the emergence and development of these private concessions such as cafés, kiosks, shops and restaurants on the exhibitions grounds, and how they accompanied the rise of entertainment and mass culture in fin-de-siècle Paris. More specifically, it will address the organizational aspects and the logistics of these new sites of consumer culture in order to show how consumer capitalism was not just exhibited but also materially performed at the Paris universal expositions.