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There was a time at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century when international exhibitions were all the rage, with London and Paris at the forefront of staging such high profile events.

In a period where Glasgow would witness the construction of many of its greatest architectural masterpieces and most ambitious civil engineering projects, its status as a driver of the British Empire's cultural and industrial growth would see the city seek to extended its importance on the international stage.

And to do so, it would host four major international exhibitions over a course of nearly sixty years between 1881 and 1938 that would attract tens of millions of visitors to the city and help showcase Glasgow's as a real European and World centre of art, culture and industry.

Here's a look into all four exhibitions:

The International Exhibition of Science, Art and Industry in 1888

The first of four international exhibitions to be held in the city during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, The International Exhibition of Science, Art and Industry took place between May and November of 1888.

Regarded as the greatest exhibition held outside London and the largest ever in Scotland during the 19th century, it was a roaring success (visited by over 5.7 million people), with the profits made helping to fund a permanent (Kelvingrove) Art Gallery and Museum.

(Image: National Galleries of Scotland)

The temporary buildings for the exhibition were designed by competition winning Glaswegian architect James Sellars in a Chinese style in wood, with the Main Building, which housed the majority of the exhibits, featuring a 170 ft high Dome with four octagonal supporting towers and minarets.

Also contained on the site was a wrought iron bandstand and Doulton & Company's chief exhibit, the world's largest terracotta fountain, which was then gifted to the city in 1890.

The Glasgow International Exhibition of 1901

The second major exhibition to be held in the city opened in May of 1901 and ran until November the same year. Again held in Kelvingrove Park, it was built on a grand scale -with the site covering an impressive 73 acres.

The newly-completed Kelvingrove Art Galley and Museum housing the Fine Art section, connected to the Machinery Hall filled with machinery displays (now the Kelvin Hall) via a covered walkway and bridge going across Dumbarton Road all the way to Partick Central Station.

Among foreign pavilions, there was a whole Russian village of seven buildings, a model farm complete with working dairy and windmill, a concert hall with seating for up to 3000, and a new sports ground next to the Western Infirmary with room for 25,000 spectators.

Entertainment wise, the public could take gondola trips on the Kelvin, visit the tea rooms, go on the miniature railway and even a shooting range and shooting jungle.

The undoubted centre-point was the extravagant, oriental style Eastern Palace which housed the Industrial Hall with its dome, minarets, towers and golden cupolas.

It proved enormously popular, with attendance figures over 11,000,000 for the six months.

The Scottish National Exhibition of 1911

With the full title of The Scottish Exhibition of National History, Art and Industry, the purpose of Glasgow's third major exhibition was 'to bind Scotland to the glories and victories of its past' while also raising money to finance a new Chair of Scottish History at the University of Glasgow.

Again running from May until November in Kelvingrove Park (over an area of 62 acres) its central feature was the Grand Ampitheatre, which could hold up to 10,000 people.

(Image: The University of Glasgow - Special Collections)

Featuring a reconstruction of a Highland village called The Clachan spread across three acres, two history camps of indigenous peoples in a West African village and Arctic Camp (complete with reindeer), entertainment and amusement were at the heart of the exhibition.

There was also an aerial railway, 'Mountain Scenic Ride' and 'Mysterious River' with the general Scottish theme instilled via an 'auld toun' with its 'auld Scotch' street, with the warm summer ensuring visitor numbers topping 9.3 million.

And the public could visit two Miss Cranston’s exhibition cafés, the Red Lion Café and White Cockade - with the latter featuring an interior designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (who also designed a stall) and menu cards designed by Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh.

The Empire Exhibition of 1938

Last but very much not least, the Empire Exhibition, which celebrated British empire trade and developments, ran from May to October of 1938 in Bellahouston Park on the south side of the city.

Labelled as a “remarkable achievement” by King George VI during the Royal Opening of the exhibition at Ibrox Park, it took 10 months to construct with 10,000 employed to do so.

Covering a huge 175 acres of parkland, it featured over 200,000 plants and 10 miles of roads, it was the second British Empire Exhibition to be held after that in London between April 1924 and October 1925.

(Image: House for an Art Lover digital archive)

At its centre stood the imposing 300 ft Tower of the Empire (dubbed Tait's tower) which was said to offer views (for up to 600 people) of over 60 miles and featured a beam at night visible half way across the country.

With its own post office, police force and fairground ran by holiday camp entrepreneur Billy Butlin, the exhibition featured over 100 palaces and pavilions and a 2000 seater concert hall, featuring performances by some of the world's most revered singers and orchestras.

One of the most spectacular exhibits was a model of the Victoria Falls, 100 foot wide and with over 25 000 gallons of water pouring over it every minute, as well as a working model of a coal-mine and a full-sized ships bridge with captain and first mate on duty.

While 12.8 million visitors passed through the exhibition's doors over the six months, the numbers were hampered by the wettest weather Glasgow had seen in 35 years, with only three 'dry' Saturdays recorded during that whole period.

And its safe to say that Glaswegians were sad to see the end of it, illustrated by the fact that over 360,000 paid visit on what was the last day of the exhibition on October 29, 1938.

There was even a special Empire Exhibition Trophy held at Ibrox nearby featuring the top clubs in England and Scotland competing - with Celtic beating Everton in the final.



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