South African International Exhibition

Last updated
South African International Exhibition
GoedeHoop Masonic Lodge 1872 - Cape Parliament.jpg
Overview
BIE-classUnrecognized exposition
NameSouth African International Exhibition
Participant(s)
CountriesAt least 5 (including colonies), potentially 11 or more
Location
Country Cape Colony
City Cape Town, Cape Colony
Coordinates 33°55′42″S18°25′07″E / 33.9282485°S 18.41851°E / -33.9282485; 18.41851
Timeline
Opening15 February 1877
Closure17 November 1877

The South African International Exhibition was a world's fair held in Cape Town, Cape Colony in 1877. [1] It was officially opened on 15 February of that year [2] [3] by Henry Bartle Frere.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Location

The exhibition was held inside a custom-made building [4] that was constructed out of glass and iron in a style reminiscent of The Crystal Palace that housed London's Great Exhibition. [5] It was located on the grounds of the Freemasons' Lodge de Goede Hoop, which was being used as the Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope at that time. [6]

Exhibits

During 1876, Signor Cagli had canvassed American and European industries to exhibit “manufactures of all kinds”, [6] which were to be grouped in 10 classes: alimentation, chemicals (perfume, medicine and surgical equipment), furniture, fabric and jewelry, transport vehicles and equipment, hardware, machinery, agriculture, science and education, and miscellany such as fire extinguishers. [4] [5] Cagli's proposal was supported by the then-Colonial Secretary, Lord Carnarvon. [5]

The only countries and colonies with known recorded exhibitors include Great Britain, the Cape Colony, Natal, the Orange Free State, and Griqualand West. [5] However, representatives of the exhibition organizers were present and accepting submissions during the preceding months in "Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Turin and Amsterdam." [5] As such, it seems likely that exhibitors from France, the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Kingdom of Italy, and the Netherlands also presented at the fair. Individual exhibitors included: Wertheim safes; [7] Taylor's sewing machines, who won a medal; [8] Sheffield-based Samuel Marshall, who showed hooks, hay knives, scythes and sheep shears; [9] and linen manufacturers Rylands & Sons, who won a prize (followed by another a year later at the Paris exhibition). [10]

Aftermath

After the exhibition, the main building was used as an assembly hall and a theatre, aptly called the Exhibition Theatre. In the afternoon of 21 February 1892, around 3:30 PM, carpenters and scenery painters were preparing for a new play when a fire broke out near the theatre entrance. In less than one hour, the entire building was destroyed, along with the adjoining Masonic Lodge and Native Affairs Office. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimberley, Northern Cape</span> Capital of the Northern Cape, South Africa

Kimberley is the capital and largest city of the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It is located approximately 110 km east of the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The city has considerable historical significance due to its diamond mining past and the siege during the Second Anglo-Boer war. British businessmen Cecil Rhodes and Barney Barnato made their fortunes in Kimberley, and Rhodes established the De Beers diamond company in the early days of the mining town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle of Good Hope</span> 17th-century bastion fort in Cape Town, South African

The Castle of Good Hope is a bastion fort built in the 17th century in Cape Town, South Africa. Originally located on the coastline of Table Bay, following land reclamation the fort is now located inland. In 1936 the Castle was declared a historical monument and following restorations in the 1980s it is considered the best preserved example of a Dutch East India Company fort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McGregor Museum</span> Multidisciplinary museum in Northern Cape, South Africa

The McGregor Museum in Kimberley, South Africa, originally known as the Alexander McGregor Memorial Museum, is a multidisciplinary museum which serves Kimberley and the Northern Cape, established in 1907.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney International Exhibition</span>

The Sydney International Exhibition was established headed by Lord Augustus Loftus and took place in Sydney in 1879, after being preceded by a number of Metropolitan Intercolonial Exhibitions through the 1870s in Prince Alfred Park.

Johannes Andreas Truter, also known as Sir John Truter, was the judicial officer of the Cape Colony and president of the Court of Justice at the Cape of Good Hope. He was also a South African Freemason and member of the Grand Orient of the Netherlands in South Africa. He was the uncle of Marie Koopmans-de Wet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Government Railways</span>

The Cape Government Railways (CGR) was the government-owned railway operator in the Cape Colony from 1874 until the creation of the South African Railways (SAR) in 1910.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort de Goede Hoop</span> Former fortification in Cape Town

The Fort de Goede Hoop was the first military building to be erected in what is now Cape Town. It was built in 1652, and was in use until 1674 when it was superseded by the Castle of Good Hope.

Richard Liversidge, naturalist, ornithologist and museum director, was born on 17 September 1926 in Blantyre, Nyasaland, and died on 15 September 2003 in Kimberley, South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chavonnes Battery</span> Historical fortification protecting Cape Town, South Africa

The Chavonnes Battery was a fortification protecting Cape Town, South Africa, built in the early 18th century. It is now a museum and function venue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope</span> Historic legislature of the British Cape Colony

The Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope functioned as the legislature of the Cape Colony, from its founding in 1853, until the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, when it was dissolved and the Parliament of South Africa was established. It consisted of the House of Assembly and the legislative council.

The following is a timeline of the history of Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houses of Parliament, Cape Town</span> Houses of Parliament of South Africa

The Houses of Parliament of South Africa are situated in Cape Town. The building consists of three main sections: the original building, completed in 1884, and additions constructed in the 1920s and 1980s. The newer additions house the National Assembly, and the original building houses the National Council of Provinces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empire Exhibition, South Africa</span> 1936 exhibition in Johannesburg, South Africa

The Empire Exhibition, South Africa, held in Johannesburg, was intended to mark that city's jubilee and was opened by the Governor-General of the Union of South Africa on 15 September 1936. It was the first exhibition held in the Union of South Africa following two earlier exhibitions in Cape Colony in 1877 and 1892. The idea of an empire exhibition in South Africa was first discussed in 1934 by the Buy Empire Committee of Johannesburg. On 9 January 1935, the Grand Council of the Federation of British Industries passed a resolution for a proposal to hold an Empire Exhibition in Johannesburg in 1936 in conjunction with the Golden Jubilee of the city.

Freemasonry was brought to South Africa by members of the Grand Orient of the Netherlands in 1772. Today there are lodges chartered under the United Grand Lodge of England, the Grand Lodge of Scotland, the Grand Lodge of Ireland, the Grand Lodge of South Africa, as well as Le Droit Humain

Johannes Henoch Neethling (1770-1838) was a South African Cape Supreme Court Judge and Grand Master of the Freemasons in South Africa.

Christoffel Brand (1738–1815) was a South African trader, a well-known host at Simon’s Town near Cape Town, welcoming ships using it as a refreshment station and a participant in establishing Freemasonry in South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Cape Town</span> List of links to articles about Cape Town on Wikipedia

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Cape Town:

The South African and International Exhibition was a world's fair held in Kimberley, Cape Colony in 1892 to promote trade and labour.

John Orr was an Irish South African businessman who founded the department store John Orr's, eventually sold to Mr. Price.

References

  1. ↑ Pelle, Findling, ed. (2008). "Appendix D:Fairs Not Included". Encyclopedia of World's Fairs and Expositions. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 424. ISBN   978-0-7864-3416-9.
  2. ↑ "Cape Colony: South African International Exhibition, Cape Town" . Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Event View - Calendar – Iziko Museums" . Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  4. 1 2 Chemical News, Manufacturing chemists, 20 October 1776, p. 169
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "South African International Exhibition". The British Architect and Northern Engineer. VI (11): 171. September 15, 1876. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Lodge de Goede Hoop and the Cape House of Assembly | Grand Lodge of South Africa - Southern Division" . Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  7. ↑ "Biography of the founder - Wertheim" . Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  8. ↑ "WILLIAM TAYLOR SEWING MACHINE, SEWALOT" . Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  9. ↑ "Exhibitions Study Guide v1-0 PDF.pdf" (PDF). Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  10. ↑ "Rylands & Sons Ltd | Science Museum Group Collection" . Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  11. ↑ The 1892 South African and International Exhibition, Kimberley. Alexander McGregor Memorial Museum, South African and International Exhibition. [Kimberley]: McGregor Museum. 1992. ISBN   0-620-17087-5. OCLC   34046200.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.