The Palace of Serbia stood at the corner of the Alma bridge and the Quai d'Orsay, in plain sight, and it formed with five domes, a majestic entrance, in the extremity of the "Rue des Nations".
Milan Kapetanovitch, professor at the Polytechnic of Belgrade, helped here by well known architect Ambroise Baudry, had made the plans, so that from the river, a viewer could see the floor showrooms. It was a palace of superficy of 550 m², which, for Serbia, with only 2 million inhabitants in 1900, represented a very significant location.
As style, it belonged to the Serbian-Byzantine architecture. The Byzantine pure, born in Constantinople, shone in all environments that crossed the Turkish rule; but this style was necessarily modified by local conditions. Thus the Serbian palace, though obviously Byzantine inspiration, moving away from pure Byzantine to characterize the Serbian national art. The walls were stone small device, alternating with layers of brick. The domes were made of metal, imitating bronze or painted.
Pavilion of Serbia - Photo Stéréo Félix Potin
Inside the palace was extremely interesting. Lorque the organizers of the Serbian exposure had sought and obtained a concession from the French commissioner of such a large space as that of the first powers, they are somewhat frightened, wondering what they garniraient with their showrooms; but as soon as the local committees had been set up, requests poured in, and produced memberships revealed an industrial movement that we did not suspect. Manufacturing organizations in countries with large populations, are affirmed by huge factories, with battalions of workers, are in Serbia, in proportion to the open market for their production, usually in the form of labor unions, which become production companies (weavers, blacksmiths, etc.).
Inside Serbia pavilion - The weavers.
Serbia mainly account agronomic production, and it is on this point that the Count of Camondo, Commissioner General, had wished to draw the attention of the French trade.
Inside the pavilion of Serbia - Agricultural Exhibition.
Unless the Austrian market, Serbia does not yet have another market, and concern for the interests commissioned to arrange to other outlets. Thus, it produces an abundance of wine, which is recognized all the qualities that traders call for blended wines. France, both for domestic consumption and for its export utillise considerable amounts of these types of wine, which she buys much to foreign producers; likewise for silkworm cocoons, Serbia produces far more than it consumes its local industry, while in France industrial needs far exceed the production of raw material. The organizing committee of the Serbian exposure had contrived to give an exact idea of the various productions of the country and it has succeeded.
Inside the pavilion of Serbia - Tobacco Monopoly.
In the great hall of the palace, all arrangements had been made for an installation, rational and picturesque at the same time, products or objects, prepared or collected by the Preparatory Committee in Belgrade cereals, tobacco, wood or metal products mechanical and work of the Kragouievatz military School; silverware, cartography, style furniture and rustic furniture, carpets and embroideries attracted various public attention that growing numbers, visited the Serbian exposure.
Inside the pavilion of Serbia - Exhibition watermarks and art embroidery.
Furthermore, it had gathered in Belgrade's most beautiful national costumes that we could find in the Old Serbia, and nothing was richer than those bright clothes and decided that overloaded embroidery, and especially countless jewels admirably worked. These costumes dressed artistically arranged mannequins, and constituted an ethnographic museum equaled a difficult splendor.
Serbia appeared under the dual utility and picturesque appearance, as a country that has nothing or little to envy the people of Europe.
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