International Exhibition of Science, Art and Industry
The International Exhibition of Science, Art and Industry was the first of 4 international exhibitions held in Glasgow, Scotland during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It took place at Kelvingrove Park between May and November 1888.[1] The main aim of the exhibition was to draw international attention to the city's achievements in applied sciences, industry and the arts during the Industrial Revolution. However, it was also hoped the Exhibition would raise enough money for a much-needed museum, art gallery and school of art in the city. The exhibition was opened by the Prince of Wales, as honorary president of the exhibition, on 8 May 1888. It was the greatest exhibition held outside London and the largest ever in Scotland during the 19th century.[2]
International Exhibition of Science, Art and Industry
Unrecognized exposition
International Exhibition of Science, Art and Industry
5,748,379
8 May 1888
November 1888
Design[edit]
The buildings for the Exhibition were designed by competition winning Glaswegian architect James Sellars. Sellars decided on an oriental style which "lends itself readily to execution in wood." The buildings were however temporary, and consideration had to be given to ease of dismantling them once the exhibition was over.
The Main Building, which housed most of the exhibits, occupied an area of Kelvingrove Park between the River Kelvin and Sandyford Street which is now on the route of Sauchiehall Street. It featured a 170 ft high Dome erected on an iron framework covered in galvanised sheet iron. Four octagonal supporting towers around the Dome were made of brick, with minarets on top.
Impact[edit]
When the Exhibition closed in November 1888, the final attendance figure was 5,748,379. A profit of £43,000 was further evidence of the Exhibition's success, with the money going towards the construction of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which functioned as the Palace of Fine Arts for the subsequent Glasgow International Exhibition, also held at Kelvingrove Park, in 1901.