The World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 was truly a world event. In the course of half a year it attracted about 50 million visitors from all over the world, and it was there that "the new style",l´art nouveau, made its breakthrough. Countries from all round the world competed to display the latest trends in all aspects of society, from industry and agriculture to art and craftsmanship, and the exhibition became a rallying point for representatives of the newly-established museums of decorative art, set up in the wake of the World Exhibition in London in 1851 and after the founding of their great predecessor, the Victoria & Albert, in 1852.