Who was Gustave Eiffel? We all know that he designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris (pictured above), but did you know that he also designed many other bridges and structures throughout the world?
Eiffel is credited with designing over 50 of the world's greatest bridges, churches, towers, monuments, and other structures. Some of his most notable works are the Eiffel Bridge in Caminha, Portugal (pictured above), the Truong Tien Bridge in Vietnam (pictured below), and the inside of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.
The Statue of Liberty (pictured above) was a gift from France to the United States. Eiffel's design for the interior structural elements of the statue allowed for the statue to become a reality. The statue showed the friendship and respect that was shared between France and the United States. The Statue of Liberty quickly became a national symbol of freedom in the United States and gave citizens a sense of pride. The statue became a great tourist attraction and brought many people to New York, boosting the economy.
Eiffel also was involved in the French effort to build the Panama Canal. His elevated, lock-based canal design was chosen. However, the project was mismanaged and was never realized. The American effort to construct the Panama Canal used new lock designs.
This is a picture of the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.
Before Eiffel's death in 1923, he researched and developed new ideas through practical use of the Eiffel Tower. The tower enabled him to make advancements in aerodynamics, meteorology, and radio-broadcasting. He built a wind tunnel at the base of the tower for his aerodynamic research, had meteorological equipment placed in various locations on the tower, and suggested to the military to have radio equipment installed on the top of the tower. Within the following years the tower would continue to serve as a permanent radio tower and eventually used for television broadcasting.
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