page_title: Exposition des produits de l'industrie française
section_title: French First Republic: 1st exposition (1798)
hierarchical_section_title: Exposition des produits de l'industrie française / French First Republic: 1st exposition (1798)
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo by Fortunat Mueller-Maerki, April 2008, Visit of Antiquarian Horological Society USA Section at Uhrenmuseum Beyer. Here Pendule Sympathique by AL Breguet, ca 1795, selfsynchroniszing the pocketwatch based on the clocktime at 12 o'clock.
context_page_description: The Exposition des produits de l'industrie française was a public event organized in Paris, France, from 1798 to 1849.
  The purpose was "to offer a panorama of the productions of the various branches of industry with a view to emulation".
  It was a precursor to the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London.
context_section_description: The first exposition was held at the Champ de Mars.
  The architect Jean-François Chalgrin, who later designed the Arc de Triomphe, undertook the hasty construction of a large circle of porticos surrounding a Temple of Industry.
  The temple would hold the objects of industries that the jury had selected.
  The official exposition took place during the five last days of the year VI (19–21 September 1798).
  The exposition opened on 19 September 1798 with a parade led by trumpeters and cavalry, with musicians, soldiers, heralds, manufacturers, the jury and politicians.
  There were 110 exclusively French exhibitors.
  Due to the short notice, there were relatively few exhibitors, all from Paris or the neighboring departments.
  There were further festivities and speeches on the fifth day, the last official day of the exposition.
  The exposition remained open until 10 Vendemiaire Year VII (1 October 1798.
  Exhibits included an instrument for cataract operations, paintings made from the plumes of exotic birds, a machine for extracting logs from rivers and a device that demonstrated the new metric system of meters, grams and liters.
  The jury was told to favour products that were comparable to those of British industry.
  Twelve exhibitors were given honorable distinctions.
  Thirteen received honourable mentions.
  Honorable distinctions included:
  Abraham-Louis Breguet: a clock with free escapement.
  Étienne Lenoir (1744–1832): a precision balance.
  Pierre and Firmin Didot and Louis Etienne Herhan: an edition of Virgil.
  Jean-François Clouet: iron transformed into steel.
  Nicolas-Jacques Conté: crayons of various colors.
caption: Clock and packet watch by Abraham-Louis Breguet
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