| Dismissed by critics as a “tragic street lamp,” the Eiffel Tower was deemed so ugly that Parisians thought even crass Americans would be repelled by its iron visage. But the tower’s design had somehow won over judges in a contest that drew more than 700 entries, and the structure was built for Paris’ Exposition Universelle of 1889. After the expo opened, the 1,063-foot-tall monolith drew near-unanimous acclaim from attendees, including Thomas Edison and Buffalo Bill Cody. Originally slated to be torn down after 20 years, the tower endured, welcoming its 250-millionth visitor in 2010. |
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