824 



WORLD'S FAIRS. 



was organized by a syndicate of Belgian and 

 Dutch capitalists. The foundation of the un- 

 dertaking was a complete representation of the 

 Dutch East India colonies, including the man- 

 ners and customs of the natives, their systems of 

 agriculture, transportation, and commerce, do- 

 mestic arts, mechanical trades, weapons of war, 

 types of the people, costumes, and general prod- 

 ucts. This department of the Exposition was 

 comprised in a special building, with minor 

 structures. The entire Exposition occupied 

 twenty-five acres, in the suburbs of the city. 

 Within this space were grouped the various 

 buildings, about fifty in number. In the main 

 building were arranged the manufactures and 

 products of the different countries exhibiting. 

 Of these the countries exhibiting the most fully 

 were in this order France, Belgium, Holland, 

 Germany. The finest exhibit, and said to be 

 the finest ever made by that country, was by 

 France. The poorest was from the United 

 States, from which country no commissioners 

 were sent, the display made being by agents in 

 Europe of American manufactures, and com- 

 prising only a few articles. Machinery Hall 

 included machinery in operation from France, 

 Germany, Belgium, Holland, the United States, 

 and Great Britain. A special building, form- 

 ing an annex to the main building, contained 

 representations of numerous small industries 

 and manufactures in operation, and here were 

 disposed the greater number of those minor 

 exhibits which are usually scattered through- 

 out an exhibition, and which include small 

 wares for sale and strictly for exhibition or 

 competitive purposes. There were also sepa- 

 rate structures devoted to special exhibitors, 

 besides a pavilion for the city of Amsterdam, 

 one for the King of Holland, the Press Pavil- 

 ion, and numerous restaurants representing 

 Holland, Germany, France, England, and other 

 countries. The grounds were tastefully laid 

 out in flower-gardens; and as the situation 

 was intersected by canals, there was opportu- 

 nity for a novel display of Chinese junks, Java- 

 nese and other East Indian boats and bridges, 

 displaying the designs of different countries. 

 One building was devoted to a Javanese band 

 or orchestra, the Gramelang, comprising thirty- 

 eight native performers on the musical instru- 

 ments of Java, a most novel and interesting 

 attraction. Of the entire colonial exhibit it 

 is to be said that it was the largest, most com- 

 prehensive, and most instructive ever made. 

 The general exhibition, while it partook of the 

 characteristics of all such displays, was notable 

 in having fewer insignificant and frivolous ex- 

 hibits than any other. In point of size, the 

 Amsterdam Exposition will rank next after 

 that of Paris in 1878. The fine-art exhibits 

 were contained in a special building, and num- 

 bered as many as 2,000 paintings of Holland, 

 Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and 

 Great Britain. This display was not, as a 

 whole, first rate in merit, though the Dutch 

 and Belgian -works presented the best speci- 



mens of the artists of those countries. The 

 principal structures were remarkably hand- 

 some, highly ornamental, and arranged to dis- 

 play the exhibits to the best possible advan- 

 tage. Nothing could be finer, within the same 

 limits, than the general effect of the display, 

 nor any scene more picturesque than the 

 grounds and the buildings, particularly the fa- 

 cade of the main building, constructed after an 

 Oriental pattern, in a semicircular form, sup- 

 ported by two towers resting, respectively, 

 upon the backs of four monster elephants, and 

 surmounted by figures of Indian gods. The 

 entrance to this was through the New Royal 

 Museum, in which were exhibited the splendid 

 articles from the Kensington Museum, and 

 those brought by the Prince of Wales from 

 India, gifts made to him by the native rajahs. 

 An important and most interesting special ex- 

 hibit was that of diamond cutting and polish- 

 ing, an industry for which Amsterdam is the 

 most famous locality in the world. The horti- 

 cultural display was contained in a separate 

 building, but was of minor importance. The 

 Press Pavilion was an elegant structure, con- 

 taining all necessary accommodations for the 

 journalists of the world who visited the Expo- 

 sition in the prosecution of their duties. 



The charge for admission to the Exposition 

 varied on different days, the highest being a 

 florin, or forty cents. Arrangements were ef- 

 fected with the French and Belgian railways, 

 by which parties of excursionists came from 

 remote parts of the Continent at reduced 

 prices, while the entire system of Dutch rail- 

 ways offered similar facilities. By these means 

 the peasantry and farming classes were able to 

 visit Amsterdam and the Exposition at a mod- 

 erate expense, and the grounds and buildings 

 were made peculiarly interesting by the pres- 

 ence of the Friesland and North and South 

 Holland peasantry in their peculiar costumes. 



The entire grounds of the Exposition were 

 granted to its administration by the city offi- 

 cials of Amsterdam. As a charge for space 

 was made to exhibitors, of fifteen florins per 

 square metre, an enormous income was realized 

 from this source, and the Exposition was thus 

 organized on a profitable basis without regard 

 to the sale of admissions. The articles exhib- 

 ited, excepting in certain specified cases, were 

 all offered for sale, and a considerable traffic 

 was conducted in the smaller objects. The 

 administration and general supervision were 

 excellent, the police and sanitary arrangements 

 entirely satisfactory. 



An important feature of the Exposition was 

 the series of conferences or scientific reunions 

 for the discussion of topics in the arts and sci- 

 ences, hygiene, political economy, international 

 jurisprudence, etc., which were participated in 

 by some of the leading specialists of Europe. 

 Medals and diplomas were awarded by a care- 

 fully chosen list of juries comprising some of 

 the leading scientists and experts of the differ- 

 ent countries exhibiting. 



