The enduring influence of the Great Exhibitions on Glasgow’s aesthetic and cultural identity.
It was Winston Churchill who first issued the popular maxim ‘we shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us’, seeking to convince his peers that the Luftwaffe-razed Commons Chamber should retain its rectangular, if somewhat adversarial, composition during reconstruction. The shape of the Chamber had, in Churchill’s opinion, innately influenced the fashioning of Britain’s two-party system. In psychological circles, it has long been held that human beings are the product of the social environment in which they are raised, but why limit this developmental philosophy to the social sphere alone? In extending this axiom to the realm of aesthetics – it should be noted that Glasgow’s storied architectural history has too left, and continues to leave, a distinct impression on all those who have and do, call her home.
Whether it be the elaborate fountains scattered across Kelvingrove Park, the ornate façades which adorn Sauchiehall Street or the grandeur of the palatial Municipal Chambers in George Square; Glasgow’s late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century flirtation with International Exhibitions enjoys sustained prominence throughout the city’s architectural landscape. International Exhibitions, popularly dubbed World’s Fairs, were established as a mechanism for nations to showcase their industrial achievements. Such displays were broadly facilitated by the advancements of the Industrial Revolution; the first, hosted in Prague in 1791, sought to exhibit the sophistication of Bohemia’s burgeoning manufacturing capabilities. Their popularity exploding in the mid-nineteenth century: London, New York, Paris, and Barcelona were several prominent cities that presented exhibitions to baying audiences. It was only natural that the Empire’s second city would join this list.
From 1888 to 1911, Glasgow contributed three international exhibitions to the global sum, with focuses ranging from industry and science to the, hitherto, lesser explored avenue of artistic expression. In this regard, Glasgow spearheaded the transition of World’s Fairs from purely technological showcases to cultural displays which presented an intersection of industry, science and art to international audiences. The first of Glasgow’s exhibitions reflected this thematic diversity in its title, The International Exhibition of Science, Art and Industry, which was hosted in Kelvingrove Park from May to November of 1888.
Great planning and preparation went into the event. Local architect James Sellers designed the temporary metropolis of glass, iron and plaster which engulfed the park’s greenery, while ‘Baghdad by the Kelvin’, an oriental-themed artistic display illuminated the banks of the river. A financial success, the Exhibition attracted nigh to six million visitors and funded the construction of the Kelvingrove Art Museum. Cultural legitimacy was a further benefit; displays ranged from feats of engineering to fine art, musical instruments, international cuisines and shipbuilding, laying the bedrock of a unique cultural identity which was rooted in both heritage and a newfound international outlook.
While temporary, the architectural styles showcased introduced locals to a panoramic urban choreography; one reflected in the subsequent construction of open-planned squares, promenades and halls in Glasgow in the Fair’s wake. Civic pride was also bolstered by this success. In terms of ticket sales, the Fair dwarfed both Manchester and Edinburgh’s exhibitions, which were held in the two years prior – firmly entrenching Glasgow as a city of worldwide renown.
Yet it was the second Exhibition of 1901 that consolidated this architectural legacy. Hosted in the newly constructed Kelvingrove Art Museum, the Glasgow International Exhibition sought to accommodate a shift in architectural tastes. Indeed, the Museum itself presented a fusion of international style with local heritage; a Spanish baroque design encompassing turrets, spires and sculptural detail composed of traditional Locharbriggs-sourced red sandstone. The presence of a grand Indian theatre, Japanese and French pavilions and the Venetian-style blanche dome of the Exhibition’s main building signalled a deepening taste for international design among locals.
This taste was most keenly expressed in the following Exhibition of 1911, which departed in location from the Kelvingrove Art Museum, yet remained anchored in the park. While physical entertainments and attractions remained, the presence of displays dedicated to the presentation of worldwide peoples and customs was more pronounced.This exposure to international artifacts, displays and fine arts resulted in the introduction of cosmopolitanism among Glasgow’s middle and upper classes, who subsequently sought to patronize museums, galleries and other civic spaces throughout the city. A continued emphasis on the provision of free and open access to these spaces represents an enduring aspect of the city’s cultural identity.
As such, the impact of the Exhibitions was not architectural alone. The Fairs served as significant cultural accelerants, exposing the local population to a fusion of international arts, goods, ideas and peoples. The roots of Glasgow’s enduring civic identity can be traced to this phenomenon, where music, processions, displays and pageantry taught locals to approach Glasgow as a cultivated space. Parks became displays, buildings status symbols, statues a point of pride and factories representative of the city’s industrial might.
But there were contradictions. While the Exhibitions provided entertainment to Glasgow’s middle and upper classes, the grandeur and pomp of curated displays and extravagant buildings contrasted sharply with the city’s cramped working-class tenements. Newly constructed museums and galleries sought to uplift public mood, but they did little to alleviate the deprivation of which much of the city suffered. Spectacle can provide joy and celebration, but it can also obscure and distract. Glasgow’s challenge lies in celebrating the Exhibition’s achievements while acknowledging the social inequalities they often glossed over.
Over a century has passed since the Fairs concluded, their legacy encompassing both the architectural and cultural spheres. Locals today, infused by the same civic pride as their forebears, continue to preserve these spaces. The maintenance of civic spaces and the continued hosting of festivals, concerts, conventions and fairs represent a focal point of community action throughout the city, perhaps best embodied by the multimillion-pound refurbishments undergone by many of Glasgow’s prominent museums, galleries and community hubs in recent years. But is this enduring environmental influence on the city’s occupants surprising? People make Glasgow, but so too does Glasgow make people.
Image Credit: Mitchell Library
