When I was younger, I had a chance to be an intern at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. I don’t think I appreciated it then as much as I do now, recalling what a magical time and place it was.

Interns guarded the artwork, sold tickets and guidebooks, and other little tasks. I learned how to say, “Would you like to buy a guidebook?” in four different languages! One thing I noticed about the people who visited the museum was the way they would unconsciously lift or turn their head if they heard their native language being spoken.

I came across this French guidebook for the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900 in Archive.org, and I want to share some of the great photos with you. Enjoy!

The front of the guidebook

One thing never changes: there are always ads in the back!