The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a world's fair held in Paris, France, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next. From April 15 until November 12, 1900, the exposition attracted more than 50 million people. 

A number of Paris' most noted structures were built for the Exposition, including the Gare de Lyon, the Gare d'Orsay (now the Musée d'Orsay), the gorgeous Alexandre III Bridge, the Grand Palais, and the Petit Palais. The first line of the Paris Metro also began operation to coincide with the Exposition.

The Exposition Universelle was where talking films and escalators made their first public appearance, and where Campbell's Soup was awarded a gold medal (an image of which still appears on its label). At the Exposition Rudolf Diesel exhibited his diesel engine, running on peanut oil and brief films of opera and ballet excerpts were apparently the very first films exhibited publicly with projection of both image and recorded sound.

Produced in France in 1900 to commemorate the Exposition Universelle, this plate is decorated with the sumptuous transferware image of the "Palais de l'Electricité" - situated opposite the Eiffel Tower at the far end of the Champ de Mars, the Palais de l'Electricité was the "star attraction" of the 1900 World Fair. This plate is a wonderful souvenir of the World's Fair of 1900 and the era of invention and discovery.