INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS BEFORE 1851.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6713, 28 November 1889, Page 4

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS BEFORE 1851.

The credit of initiating International Exhibitions belongs, "without doubt, the Otago Daily Times says, to the Society of Arts iv London, but the series of " world's

Society, was commenced in Hyde Park and has since been extended to every country in the world, was merely an enlargement of the ideas which found expression in the many les3, important expositions that dated back to a period long antecedent to the' Christian era. The first Exhibition of wiich there is any record was held in the reign of King Ahasueruß. Of it we read in the Book oi Esther that "When the King AhaauerU3 Bat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace, in the third year of his reign, he made a feast .unto all his princes- and hi 3 servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the Provinces being before him: When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom, and the honour of his excellent majesty, many days, even an hundred and fourscore days." During the last years of the Roman Republic and in tho"niO6thighaudpalmly state" of Imperial Rome, exhibitions were held, at which the spoils of conquered countries were displayed, but; there is no trace in these early ages of any effort to display tho industries or resources of any country. In 1268 there was, however, held at Venice something in the nature of an industrial exhibition. This was during the doge3bip of Lorenzo Tiepolo, and was a carnival of labour, comprising a water ftte, a procession oi' the trades, and an industrial exhibition. After thia there were fairs in the Ea3t, but the next exhibition o£ which much is known was held by the Dutch at Leyden in the hitter end of tho seventeenth century. This was quite uniqu-3 in its way, for the cataloguo of exhibits included several thunderbolts, the hand of a mermaid, "the skin of a woman prepared like leather," " the ears and tongue of a thief who had been hanged," a mushroom one hundred years old, " Arabian jewels, East Indian corals, Egyptian linen, Chinese songs, and Chinese beer." In Great Britain there doea not appear to have been any Exhibition until 175t», when the Society of Arts offered prizes lor improvements in the manufacture of tapestry, carpets, and porcelain, and thus inaugurated its scries of Fine Art Exhibitions, the Becond ono being held five years later, v/hen the Society oli'ered prizes for agricultural and other machinery. These Exhibitions compared unfavourably with the iirsb of the Beries of national Exhibitions! in France, which was held in 1708. The opening ceremonies were of an exceptionally remarkable character, for .Napoleon, just returned from his success- I ful campaign in Italy, had a triumphal I • l>rocessi<"n, in which the art spoils from Venice, Rome, and Naples — ihe masterpieces of Titian, llailaelle, Domenichino, and Paul Veronese — were paraded through the streets. There were 110 exhibitors ; aud it wft.» an arb exhibition chiefly, bub nob absolutely, for a gold medal was offered to tho manufacturer who should deal the heaviest blow to English trade. This, was followed by ten expositions in Paris in less than half a century. Ab thafc of 1801 there were 229 exhibitors, aud juries were appointed to make the awards. Iv their report me jurors embody a remark which has been abundantly verified. " There is not," they said, " nn artist or an inventor who, once obtaining thus a public recognition of his ability, has not found his reputation and hia businees largely increased." The number oi! exhibitors in 13 i 0 had increased to 4500 — a vaijt ailvancu upon tho 110 persons who exhibited in 1798. Tue number woiild have been larger but for the txciusiveness 61 the JPrencu, a proposal for the representation of foreign products in 1849 being deemed by the Minister of Commerce to have emanated from tho enemies of French industry. During this time France had nob had a monopoly of exhibitions, but throughout the whole of Europe the knowledge had spread of tho advantage accruing from' the holding oi such -fairsto mark the 'progress of a country in art and manufactures. Thus, we find that in 1820 a series of exhibitions waa opened in various cities of Austria, and National Exhibitions were held at Vienna in 1835, 1889 and 1845, the latter having 1865 exhibitors. In Germany there were National Exhibitions at Berlin in 1822 and 1827, and in 1841 with 3060 exhibitors. Saxony also had its National Exhibitions botween 1824 and 1845, in which last year there were GOl3 exhibitors. Between 1823 and 1855 numerous Exhibitions were held in Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden (one at Stockholm in 1823, having only G2 exhibitors), Russia, Portugal, Sardinia, Spain, and the United Stateß. In Great Britain, industrial displays had to fight their way against much apathy and prejudice. In 1828 a National Depository was opened, under the patronage of George IV., at the Royal Mews, Charing Cross, for the exhibition of " specimens of new and improved productions of the artisans and manufacturers of the United Kingdom." This exhibition draggedout an unfortunate existence until 1833, when it collapsed. In Ireland the Royal Dublin Society commenced in 1829 a series of triennial exhibitions of native industry, and these are said to have had a beneficial effect upon the trade of the country. In 1845 an exhibition of manufactures in Covent Garden, London, proved a great success. Four yearß later an exposition of industry was held ab Birmingham, and was ' the most complete of any held till that time in the country. -