The Incredible Greenock Exhibition of 1891

The Marine, Industrial, and Educational Exhibition was opened in Greenock on Thursday 24 November 1891.  It was advertised as under the Patronage of the President, Vice-Presidents, and Directors of the Greenock Infirmary and Captain Bouverie Clark RN, HMS Superb.  5% of all money received was to be given to the Infirmary.  It ran for ten weeks, closing on 5 February 1892.

The building housing the exhibition was located next to Princes Pier Station with its main entrance on Brougham Street. The interior was described as a “Palace of Delight” had been decorated by M Albert who had been responsible for the decoration of exhibitions in Paris, Moscow, and many other places throughout the world. One of the main differences in Greenock was the lighting - “when viewed under the brilliance of the electric light, the main hall of the Exhibition will represent a scene of great magnificence.”  The light was provided by 16 Gulcher lamps of 2000 candle power.  The Gulcher New Electric Light and Power Company of London under James Hollingham, superintendent.

Source - Greenock Burns Club

It was officially opened before a large crowd by Louson Walker, Chairman of the Directors of the Infirmary accompanied by the band of the 1^st Renfrew Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.  After which was a programme of musical entertainment with various international artistes.

There was also to be a winter garden laid out with a great variety of plants and shrubbery and offering a quiet area away from the main arena.  Albert Jennings of the Imperial Restaurant Greenock secured the contract for refreshments.  A football match was to be "played by Electric Light" with Greenock Morton playing Port Glasgow Athletic on the evening of Monday 28 November.  The result was a 4 all draw! Special trains were put on from Princes Pier to Glasgow during the ten weeks of the Exhibition.

 

The popular Brescian Family musical entertainment filled the hall till mid-December when they had other commitments. They were replaced by “Dainez’s Bijou Circus of educated ponies, mules, dogs, and goats”.  Also performing were “the elephant “Gipsy” and the performing donkey “Smiler”.  The Pompadour Band consisting of “18 ladies” was, not surprisingly, very popular.  Other entertainments included the Paganini Orchestra and Lyons the ventriloquist.  All this took place in the “bijou theatre” specially built for the occasion.

Pompadour Band

Among others appearing at the Exhibition were local company John Walker & Co, sugar refiners who put on an exhibition showing the various stages of sugar refining.  A potter’s wheel was lent by Mount Blue Pottery, Camlachie, Glasgow to show how vases etc were made.  Dr Harley’s Fairy Fountain previously exhibited all over Europe was to make an appearance in the main avenue of the Exhibition. 

Corlinda Lee “Queen of the Gypsies” and her uncle George Smith “King of the Gypsies”.  Their tent was carpeted and furnished with beautiful quilts and decorated by the people themselves.  Visitors could have their fortunes told.

In another area was the “Artizans’ and Women’s Industrial Section” displaying an “attractive display of specimens of the handiwork of local exhibitors” as well as works from the Artizan Associations of Edinburgh and Glasgow.  The Castle and Union Steamship Lines and others showed a collection of ship Models, marine pictures,etc.  Robert Mills of Greenock showed ships pumps.  There was even a full-sized specimen of a second cabin from an Allan Line steamer.  

The Centre Avenue seems to have been the main attraction as this quote shows - “Passing down the Centre Avenue, spectators who have visited Constantinople or the East Indies would imagine that they were walking through a bazaar in some of these Eastern cities from the magnificent display of Turkish and Indian wares and fabrics, and curiosities in bronze, silver and iron.  There are Italian marble busts and antique roman furniture, oil paintings sent from Milan, and several stalls of French manufactured articles”.  Various exhibitors were A Santamaria & Co of Hatton Garden with a show of Bohemian glass and Italian jewellery, Ardeshir & Byramji of Oxford Street, London displayed Indian silks, carpets and Suzucki exhibited Japanese curiosities.

The exhibition seems to have been a great success with many people travelling to Greenock to see the sights.  The ever-changing entertainment would also have proved popular with customers.  At the end of the Exhibition prizes were awarded to the best of the exhibitors. The Exhibition closed on Saturday 5 February 1892 after ten weeks. 

One unusual story came out of the Exhibition.  In the Sheriff Court, Peter Scott, grocer, of West Blackhall Street sued the promoters of the Greenock Exhibition for £2 10s for damages to a pony.  He alleged that he was driving along on his pony and trap when at the corner of Patrick Street and Brougham Street when the pony was startled when the elephant Gipsy was being marched through the town with a boy on its back distributing handbills threw some near the pony.  The Exhibition representative assured the court that no leaflets had been distributed between the Exhibition and the Theatre-Royal bar (West Blackhall Street) where Gipsy “had been refreshed with a bottle of beer”.  However the Sheriff, Henderson Begg found in favour of the grocer.

With the ending of the Exhibition, many of the exhibits and even the floorboards and other fixtures and fittings, were auctioned off locally.