Gustave Eiffel

Eiffel was one of the most innovative engineers of his age, responsible for visually and structurally eloquent constructions around the world, and a pioneer of wind-testing. Gounod led a protest against the Eiffel Tower, but happily joined Eiffel and his guest Edison at a champagne lunch atop it, improvising for them at the piano. Santos-Dumont regularly ate with Eiffel and circled the tower in his biplane. Bartholdi contacted him for advice on constructing the Statue of Liberty, Blériot consulted him on the best shape for a wing, while the entrepreneur de Lesseps roped him in to his Panamanian fiasco.