Paris and Its World’s Fairs: 19th and Early 20th-Century Expositions Universelles

September 2026

Paris and Its World’s Fairs: 19th and Early 20th-Century Expositions Universelles

Mauricio Tenorio, Gustavus F. and Ann M. Swift Distinguished Service Professor of History

This course will use Paris as its primary “textbook” to read, walk, and feel the history and impact of Paris’s World’s Fairs (Expositions Universelles). Starting with the “Great Exhibition” in London in 1851, World’s Fairs became a sort of self-consciousness of the modern world, materializing the modern world’s utopias and current fears, its advances and conquests, and its contradictions and dreams. These were colossal events involving massive urban plans and constructions attended by millions of visitors. What can these temporary events—staged with monumental ambition—teach us about the history of urbanism, modern culture, national identity, and the legacies of colonialism?

This course will explore these questions through the lens of Paris’s three most renowned World’s Fairs, analyzing how exhibitions from 1851 to 1937 became epicenters of dreams, anxieties, and transformation. We will engage directly with the course material by visiting the very sites that hosted these international spectacles. By experiencing Paris firsthand, we will trace how its World’s Fairs sparked urban redevelopment, showcased innovation in science and technology, and fostered debates on nationalism, internationalism, and gender.

Drawing parallels to fairs in Chicago, Vienna, and beyond, participants will consider how three paramount Parisian World’s Fairs shaped cultural and political thought. We will devote a week to each of these three World’s Fairs, combining days of in-class lectures and presentations, and walking days along the sites of the different fairs. The 1889 Exposition Universelle bombastically celebrated the centennial of the French Revolution and its surviving structure, the Eiffel Tower, became Paris’s most iconic landmark. The 1900 Exposition Universelle, “Bilan d’un siècle,” grappled with balancing the progress of the 19th century. Finally, the 1937 Exposition Internationale des Arts et des Techniques Appliqués à la Vie Moderne, was not only the world’s most important artistic and cultural event at the time but also tried to keep the fragile peace in the aftermath of what 1933 meant in Germany while simultaneously conveying the cultural and political antagonisms that led to WWII.

Paris is an ideal location for the course as a living, material archive itself and the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions and the Smithsonian Institute contain vast collections of digitized archival sources. This program invites students from all majors and disciplines who are eager to critically engage with Paris and the aspirations and contradictions at the heart of modernity.

Faculty who teach on this program rotate from year to year. The faculty roster is designated by the program faculty director.

Headquarters for the College’s study abroad programs in Paris is the University of Chicago John W. Boyer Center in Paris, the University’s teaching and research hub in Europe. Since 2003, the Center has been home to a growing array of the College’s hallmark Study Abroad programs and has supported our community of students, faculty, alumni, and partners from around the world. Designed by Studio Gang, the new Center features state-of-the-art classrooms, offices, event and reception spaces, and gathering areas for students, among other features.

Students in the September program are housed in a residence hall within the Cité Internationale Universitaire (Cité). The Cité, a park-like residential complex in the fourteenth arrondissement, is the international student campus in Paris, though French students also live there. Students reside in single rooms with a private bath and have access to Cité facilities, including a library, theater, laundry, and athletic facilities. Students will have access to common kitchens in the residence halls and can purchase inexpensive meals at the Cité’s restaurant universitaire.

It is important to recognize the cultural context of student housing in France and understand that the amenities of dormitory facilities may vary. Although some of these differences may take some getting used to, remember that cultural differences extend to all aspects of your experience abroad. Having realistic expectations for your term in Paris will help you approach the study abroad experience with a positive attitude.

Participants in the Paris and Its World’s Fairs September program program will take and receive credit for one 100-unit course. This course is considered part of the students’ Summer Quarter course load and is recorded as a course enrollment on their Summer Quarter registration. The course title, units of credit, and grade are placed on the College transcript.

Completion of a September course abroad will earn students 1 point toward Global Honors, the College’s recognition of exceptional global engagement. Visit the Chicago Language Center’s website for information on how to apply for Global Honors.

Study abroad students pay regular Summer Quarter tuition at the one-course rate, a program fee, and a nonrefundable study abroad administrative fee. The tuition and program fee are paid in conformity with the home campus payment schedule, and a deposit toward the nonrefundable study abroad administrative fee is submitted when accepting a place in a program. Precise figures for the Paris September program during the 2025-2026 year are listed below:

Summer tuition for one course: $4,980 (Summer 2026)

Study abroad administrative fee: $675

Paris September program fee: $4,000

Previous program participants report spending in the range of $200 to $250 per week on meals and incidentals while on the program, though frugal students may spend less, and others could spend much more. Bear in mind that the cost of living in Paris is relatively high and that, while it is possible to live frugally, it is also possible to run short of money if you are unwary. It is therefore essential that you budget your funds prudently, apportioning your resources so that they last for the duration of the program. If you are planning to travel before or after the program or on weekends, you should budget accordingly.

Participants in summer College-sponsored programs are eligible for need-based financial aid, following the procedure described on the Summer and September Aid page of the Financial Aid website. For more information about financial aid resources, please see our general Tuition, Fees, and Funding section.

The Paris and Its World’s Fairs September program is open to University of Chicago undergraduate students only. Applications from outside the University are not accepted.

The program is designed for undergraduates in good academic and disciplinary standing who are beyond their first year in the College. While the program stipulates no minimum grade point average, an applicant’s transcript should demonstrate that they are a serious student who will make the most of this opportunity. Because the course is taught in English, there is no language prerequisite to apply.

Each application is examined on the basis of the student’s scholastic record and personal statement. If you are interested in applying for this program, please fill out the online application.

To discuss the Paris and Its World’s Fairs September program and the possibility of participating, please contact Michaela Foreman.