The city of Paris occupied three rooms in the right wing of the National
Palace.
There were in the exhibit many statues, pictures, objects of the Paris municipal council and of the council-general of the Department of Seine, the insignia of councils, engravings, reproducing the most important decorative works in the Paris Hotel de Ville (city hall); also work done by pupils of the professional and industrial art schools, such as the Germain Pilon, Bernard, Palissy, Dorian, Diderot, Estienne, Boulle, etc.; such work includes ceramic pieces, modeling, bookbinding, furniture, chasing work, pottery, etc. The architectural service was represented by plans and drawings illustrating some types of the main edifices in Paris, such as the Sorbonne, Palais des Beaux Arts de la Ville de Paris, the barracks, mayoralty buildings, professional schools, primary schools, etc.
The departments of public highways, public lighting, water and health exhibited some graphical and statistical information in reference to their undertakings.
The Metropolitan Underground Railway sent most complete information covering its most interesting work.
The department of public charity exhibited water colors which gave useful information in reference to its various branches and modes of operating.
The department of historical work and the committee of ancient Paris showed a collection of publications covering the history of the city and of its several transformations. The general decorations included views of Paris, public gardens, and two large panels by de Grinberg, showing the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Pavilion de Fiore, in the Tuilleries.
There were also frontispieces and escutcheons by the master decorator Jambon. Elaborate middle pieces and a beautiful chandelier in the middle of the main room attracted considerable attention.
There was a small horizontal show case containing a collection of objects employed by the teacher in lecturing on civic instruction. These objects included various kinds of tickets, stamps, tax bills, receipts, official postals, etc.
Agricultural education occupied an extensive area, showing the importance attached in France to that department. A very remarkable collection, filling seven volumes, showed the really wonderful result that an inspector of the Brittany region was able to obtain in a district consisting of some hundred townships. There was also an "experiment case," which was to be found again in the normal school graduate's outfit, and a set of small instruments made by the country teachers.
The series, drawings, samples of manual work, of sewing, etc., showed how republican schools in France care for the workman's interests.