1013 



EXHIBITIONS, INTERNATIONAL. 



EXHIBITIONS, INTERNATIONAL. 



1011 



to a joint-stock body the Crystal Palace Company. By this company 

 nearly me million and a half tterling has been expended on the Crystal 

 Palace and grounds at Sydenham ; but it does not fall within the limits 

 of the present article to notice the exhibition at Sydenham, however 

 remarkable in many respects it may be. We pass on therefore to 

 notice the Dublin Exhibition of 1853, which, although occasioning a 

 loss to its projectors, brought well-deserved credit to Ireland and the 

 Irish. The general principle of international exhibitions having just 

 been pretty fully treated, we shall only present here a mere outline. 



The Royal Dublin Society had long been accustomed to hold 

 triennial exhibitions of Irish arts and manufactures at their house in 

 Merrion Square. The city of Cork held a similar exhibition in 1852. 

 The pleasure afforded in both of those cities, coupled with the great 

 success of the Hyde Park Exhibition in 1851, led to the suggestion of 

 some more extensive scheme for the year 1853. Mr. William Dargan, 

 a wealthy and liberal railway contractor, wrote to the Dublin Society, 

 proposing that a large exhibition building should be constructed on 

 the lawn in front of the Society's house ; that a special executive com- 

 mittee should be appointed to manage a grand exhibition; that he 

 himself would advance the sum of 20,0002. ; that he would take the 

 building at a valuation after the close of the exhibition ; that if, after 

 payment for the building and all other expenses, the proceeds of the 

 exhibition should not amount to 20,0002., with interest thereon at 

 5 per cent., he should receive the proceeds, lees all the expenses 

 incurred, but that if the proceeds should be more than equivalent to 

 all these claims, the surplus should remain at the disposal of the com- 

 mittee. This liberal offer was at once accepted, and a committee 

 appointed. The committee advertised for plans for a building, and 

 selected from a large number one which was sent in by Mr. Benson. 

 Suggestions being from time to time made for various extensions of 

 the plan, Mr. Dargan, in the same generous spirit as before, increased 

 his liability to 40,0002. The building was constructed during the 

 winter and spring. It comprised a central hall, 425 feet long, 100 feet 

 wide, and 105 feet high, with a waggon- vaulted roof, terminated by 

 domes at the two ends, and lighted by skylights on the top. There 

 were lesser balls on either side of this central hall, and still smaller 

 halls bounding the building on the north and south. There were, in 

 addition, several subsidiary halls and galleries ; and all were tastefully 

 painted in coffered panelling. On the 12th of May, 1853, the exhi- 

 bition was opened by the lord lieutenant. Nothing but the desire of 

 keeping faith could have warranted the opening on that day ; for, 

 although the building itself was nearly finished, the contents and 

 arrangements were very incomplete. Indeed, the collection was con- 

 stantly being added to throughout the whole duration of the exhibition. 

 The building contained a fine collection of pictures ; contributions 

 in art and manufactures from several foreign countries ; a fair amount 

 of specimens illustrative of English and Scottish industry ; and a larger 

 collection than had ever before been made of the produce, manufac- 

 ture*, and art of Ireland. That Ireland's contributions did not show 

 such an advanced degree of excellence as those of the sister-country 

 wan to be expected ; but they had this value, that they marked the 

 state of things in 1853, and that, by showing wherein the industrial 

 deficiencies of the country chiefly lay, they suggested the road to 

 improvement. The exhibition building cost 48,0002. The value of 

 the contents, at the fullest period, was roughly estimated at somewhat 

 over 500,0002., of which the fine arts specimens (paintings, sculptures, 

 and mediaeval productions) were set down at 200,0002. The exhibition 

 closed on the 29th of October. The result, however, gratifying in 

 many ways, was far from successful financially, seeing that a heavy 

 loss fell on Mr. Dargan. 



Nan York Exhibition of 1853. It was perhaps unfortunate for both 

 cities that the exhibitions at Dublin and New York took place in the 

 same year ; for this coincidence distracted the attention of many who 

 might have been willing to contribute. In both cities the exhibition 

 took place without the direct aid of the government ; but New York 

 was not so fortunate as Dublin in obtaining the noble offer of one man 

 to bear whatever loss might occur. The American visitors to the Hyde 

 Park Exhibition took home with them recollections which led them to 

 wish for something of a similar character in their own country. Many 

 conferences were held, chiefly at New York ; and towards the close of 

 1851 the municipal authorities of that city agreed to grant, to a joint- 

 stock company established for the purpose, a lease for five years of a 

 plot of ground called Reservoir Square, close to the magnificent reser- 

 voir terminating the Croton aqueduct. The ground was to be rent 

 free, on two conditions : that the exhibition building constructed 

 thereon should be of iron and glass ; and that the fee of admission for 

 visitors should on no days be higher than half a dollar (2*. Id.). The 

 legislature of the state of New York granted a charter of incorporation 

 to the company ; and the customs authorities agreed that the building 

 should be regarded as a bonded warehouse, into which articles might 

 be brought duty free during the continuance of the exhibition. Thus 

 armed, the directors of the new company met in March, 1852 ; they 

 announced an issue of shares to the amount of 300,000 dollars (60,0002.) ; 

 this capital was readily subscribed, and the total was afterwards raised 

 to 500,000 dollars (about 100,0002.). 



It was soon found that the choice of locality was bad ; the spot was 

 three or four miles from the heart of the city, and comprised an area 

 of only about 450 feet square, far too small for the purpose in view. 



The directors advertised for plans. Sir Joseph Paxton sent in one, 

 which was much admired for its beauty, but which waa unsuited to 

 the shape of the ground. Among many competitors, a plan of Messrs. 

 Gildermeister and Carstenseu was accepted. The building was in the 

 shape of a Greek cross, about 400 feet in each direction, with arms 

 150 feet wide. In the centre was a circular space 100 feet in diameter, 

 covered by a dome. Each arm of the cross comprised nave and aisles, 

 with galleries over the latter. The most attractive part of the interior 

 was the beautiful dome, 123 feet in diameter, framed on 32 very ornate 

 ribs of iron, and having 32 windows of stained glass alternating with 

 the ribs. The windows in the main building were rendered translucent 

 by the use of glass having a thin vitrified layer of white enamel. 

 There were octagonal towers at the four corners of the cross, and 

 twelve staircases to lead from the ground-floor up to the gallery. 

 The exterior was painted bronze-colour, slightly relieved with gold ; 

 the interior was mostly cream-coloured, picked out with the three 

 positive colours red, yellow, and blue. In the struggle for more 

 space, the directors found themselves able to construct a strip of 

 building, 450 feet by 75, on one side of the Greek cross. 



Agents were sent over Europe to invite contributions ; and the 

 builders did their best to finish the structure by the 1st of May, 1853, 

 the day appointed for the opening ; but numerous difficulties super- 

 vened, and the opening did not take place till the 14th of July. 

 This delay was disappointing to the exhibitors and the public, and 

 disastrous to the company, seeing that it seriously limited the number 

 of summer days available for the exhibition. Even on the day last 

 named the whole arrangements were in a chaotic state ; the " machinery 

 in motion " and the picture-gallery were not opened till September 1st. 

 The articles were grouped in 31 classes (one more than at the London 

 Exhibition, by separating the musical from the philosophical and 

 horological instruments) ; but the size and shape of the building did 

 not afford much facility for geographical grouping so remarkable a 

 feature in Hyde Park. There were prize medals, and jurors to award 

 them; but the juries were 17 instead of 31. There were about 4800 

 exhibitors, of whom rather less t.han onfi-half belonged to the United 

 States ; the rest being foreigners, mostly from Europe. The Exhibi- 

 tion was open 119 days. During this time the receipts, from visitors, 

 sale of catalogues, 4c., were 340,000 dollars, or about 71,0002. This 

 result was very unsatisfactory. The company spent 540,000 dollars on 

 the building, 100,000 dollars on the fittings and furniture, and 250,000 

 dollars in miscellaneous outlay, during a period of more than two 

 years. The final cost, for everything, was very little short of 200,0002. 

 It absorbed all their share capital, all the receipts from visitors, and 

 two loans raised at interest. What they had per contra was the 

 exhibition building, and the liberty to use the building and its site for 

 exhibition purposes during a further period of four years. 



The British government sent over commissioners to the New York 

 Exhibition, chiefly for the purpose of examining and reporting on the 

 quality of the articles exhibited. The commissioners, like the exhibitors, 

 were wearied by the delay hi opening ; and they fully admitted that 

 the display would have been both superior and more remunerative if 

 the contractors could have finished the building in duo time. By far 

 the most valuable feature was the exhibition of machines made in the 

 United States; these were extensive, varied, and excellent, and 

 attracted much attention on the part of the English visitors. The 

 British government purchased numerous machines used in the manu- 

 facture of rifles, pistols, and carbines. 



Paris Exhibition of 1855. The French government Boon after the 

 close of the grand display in London, resolved on the holding of an 

 international Exhibition at Paris, based upon similar principles ; but 

 various circumstances prevented the realisation of the scheme until 

 1855. The whole cost was borne by the government, instead of by 

 visitors' payments, as hi England. The management was confided to 

 a special commission appointed by the Emperor. The building con- 

 structed, however, in the Champs Elyse'es, and called the Palais 

 de t Industrie, belonged to a joint-stock company ; it was commenced on 

 the understanding that the government would guarantee 4 per cent, on 

 the outlay, together with a share in the surplus profits ; but as a sur- 

 plus never appeared, the whole of the admission money paid by the 

 visitors went to the company. Among the commissioners were com- 

 prised many names of European reputation Elie de Beaumont, 

 Dupin, Gasparin, Ingres, Leplay, Lesseps, Merimde, Chevalier, Morin, 

 Poncelet, Regnault, Sallandrouze, Visconti, &c. One of the points of 

 difference between the London and Paris Exhibitions was the admis- 

 sion of paintings and engravings into the latter. In addition to Franco 

 and her colonies, 53 foreign states, and 22 colonies belonging to those 

 states, sent articles for exhibition. In the latest edition of the official 

 catalogue, there appeared the names of 20,839 exhibitors ; of whom 

 10,691 were French, and 10,148 foreign. England and her possessions 

 figured for 2574. It required 6400 packages, weighing 1300 tons, to 

 take the British goods only to Paris. 



The building was not of a compact and uniform kind, like Paxton's 

 palace of glass in London. There was a Palais de I'lndustrie, and 

 there was a Palais des Beaux Arts ; there was a building called the 

 Panorama ; and three smaller buildings were subsequently added, for 

 the reception of agricultural implements, carriages, and cheap articles. 

 There were also exhibiting spaces in open ground ; and thus it happened 

 that the articles exhibited occupied altogether seven or eight different 



