Paris Exhibition of 1889 - Base of Eiffel Tower - Looking through base of tower to statue and buildings in distance. Part of Box 119 Boswell Collection Erected in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair, it was initially criticized by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design, but has become both a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognisable structures in the world.