• listing of relevant resources: Glasgow 1888, Glasgow 1901

• selected images: Glasgow 1888, Glasgow 1901

• other links

An album of 36 photographs of the Glasgow International Exhibition Glasgow, 1888: Sp Coll Photo B4

Number 3: Van Houten's sixteenth-century style Cocoa House

An album of 36 photographs of the Glasgow International Exhibition Glasgow, 1888: Sp Coll Photo B4

Number 5: the bazaar-like display of the Indian Court, with attendants 

An album of 36 photographs of the Glasgow International Exhibition Glasgow, 1888: Sp Coll Photo B4

Number 7: Viennese bric-a-brac from Ernest Wahliss

An album of 36 photographs of the Glasgow International Exhibition Glasgow, 1888: Sp Coll Photo B4

Number 10: Doulton's "Indian Pavilion"

An album of 36 photographs of the Glasgow International Exhibition Glasgow, 1888: Sp Coll Photo B4

Number 14: The Bodega Bar in the Main Building

Number 16: Nobel's Explosives Co. Ltd, Glasgow

Number 19: Mirrlees, Watson & Co., Glasgow

An album of 36 photographs of the Glasgow International Exhibition Glasgow, 1888: Sp Coll Photo B4

Number 21: Fairfield's stand on the Main Avenue showing about 30 ship models along with a model of a triple expansion engine 

An album of 36 photographs of the Glasgow International Exhibition Glasgow, 1888: Sp Coll Photo B4

Number 24: display of George Cradock of Wakefield, manufacturer of Lang's patent steel wire

An album of 36 photographs of the Glasgow International Exhibition Glasgow, 1888: Sp Coll Photo B4

Number 26: the ornamental ironwork of Walter Macfarlane's Saracen Foundry at Possilpark, standing at the entrance of the Machinery Court

Number 28: Maggie E. Frier Ceramics

An album of 36 photographs of the Glasgow International Exhibition Glasgow, 1888: Sp Coll Photo B4

Number 29: Brown and Polson's corncob arches, advertising their cornflour and starch; behind is the mustard stand of J. & J. Colman

An album of 36 photographs of the Glasgow International Exhibition Glasgow, 1888: Sp Coll Photo B4

Number 30: Mrs Eliot exhibiting wood-carving in the Women's section

An album of 36 photographs of the Glasgow International Exhibition Glasgow, 1888: Sp Coll Photo B4

Number 31: display of Campbell Achnach & Co., rubber manufacturers 

An album of 36 photographs of the Glasgow International Exhibition Glasgow, 1888: Sp Coll Photo B4

Number 32: window dressing of Robin and Houston, who had soapworks at Paisley and candleworks in Glasgow

Number 33: Kirkwood, Edinburgh

An album of 36 photographs of the Glasgow International Exhibition Glasgow, 1888: Sp Coll Photo B4

Number 36: exhibit in the Machinery Section of Andrew and James Stewart's Clyde Tube Works at Coatbridge

The Grand entrance of the main building

Interior showing the Main Avenue East; Osler's display of cut glass is in the foreground, with the polar bear on top of the Arctic Tannery's stand behind

Title-page

Etching showing the switchback railway

Invitation card for David Murray to private view inserted before title-page

Cover: "The greatest good for the greatest number" is the guiding principle in the compilation of this condensed but comprehensive guide ... Attention is paid to everything which the ordinary visitor will be anxious to know, and the various matters of interest are arranged in the most get-at-able manner (quote from preface, page 9)

Daily programme for opening day, May 8, 1888

Front cover: Illustrative of Industry, Science, and Art, the collection embraces everything connected with agriculture, mining, shipbuilding, engineering, carriages, cycles, arms, ambulance, electricity, gas, chemicals, food-stuffs, textiles, leather, paper, furniture, pottery, jewellery, &c., special features being made of the Fine Arts, Indian, Women's Industries, and Artisan sections (quote from page 1)

The Kodak at large (prize snap shots by "Mungo"): 1. the toy railway; 2. Mr. Whitton evolving order out of chaos; 3. at close quarters with the Boer; 4. some weighty arrivals; 5. the Russians; 6. an Irish exhibit (May 4, 1901/page 5)

The Kodak at large (prize snap shot by "Mungo"): detail showing: 5. the Russians (May 4, 1901/page 5)

The Kodak at large (prize snap shot by "Mungo"): detail showing: 6. an Irish exhibit (May 4, 1901/page 5)

Sitting room in the girls' club: the rooms are situated at a busy corner of the Grand Avenue, but the outside atmosphere of wearing bustle and activity is replaced within by a feeling of rest and calm (June 22, 1901/page 168) 

Cover of the issue for July 13, 1901, showing the Pearl Shell Trophy in the Western Australian Court

The Canadian section: timber and forestry exhibits: only really valuable timbers are here on view, but they are shown in all stages of development from the rough trees as they are cut in the forest to the highly polished furniture into which they are ultimately transformed ... the forests of the Dominion are practically unlimited and the timber trade is growing in leaps and bounds (July 24, 1901/page 264; quote from page 275) 

Drawing room furniture exhibit of Messrs. James Campbell & Co.: not content to work on conventional lines by simply showing a miscellaneous display of furniture without regard to surroundings, they have endeavoured, so far as their space would allow, to show the complete furnishing of a house, and have divided the space allotted to them into three sections or rooms fitted to represent dining-room, drawing-room, and bedroom (August 3, 1901/page 283) 

Pavilion, designed by David Gow: Generally speaking the arrangement and disposition of the buildings in the grounds present a crowded and unsymmetrical appearance, largely due, no doubt, to the unexpected demands made upon the limited space at the disposal of the executive by firms and nationalities desiring to be represented (page 47)

Stall, designed by Charles R. Mackintosh: Throughout the interior of the Grand Hall and Avenue are to be found a number of stalls, whose designers have displayed both skill and originality in breaking away from the gingerbread showcase style of design which has hitherto been considered elegant and appropriate by exhibitors at such exhibitions; and this may be accepted as a happy augury of the closer relations that may be expected to exist between Art and Commerce in the new century (page 47; quote from page 48)

Wash-stand and Chair designed by G. Logan and exhibited by Messrs. Wylie and Lochhead: The bedroom, designed by Mr. George Logan, has an especial charm in the manner in which the colour is managed ... The lines of the furniture, like those of the room itself, are dignified without any restlessness, simple in form, and admirably adapted to the purpose of a combined boudoir and bedroom (page 167)

Embroidered curtain by Mrs Newbery: The needlework exhibits are plentiful, and many are remarkable for excellence of design and execution ... pieces of embroidery by ... Mrs Newbery ... are worthy of examination on account of the qualities of the design, which command the highest admiration for the skilful arrangement of intricate lines, combined with workmanship of rare excellence (page 239; quote from page 243)

Bookbindings by Alice McCulloch: What is needed in binding is that treatment which arises from a perception of the demands of the material; originality without eccentricity and, above all, a decoration which aims to beautify the appearance of the book as opposed to one that, if accidentally upon a binding, would be not less inappropriate in other materials  (page 245; quote form page 244)

Cutting "Short lived bliss" (from the Bailie: 9th October 1901; page 72 in album)

Cutting "Types of beauty at the exhibition" (from the Bailie: ? 1901; page 73 in album)

Cutting "The Last Day": the fear of rowdyism seems also to have paid a conspicuous part in keeping down the numbers. The total broke all records of course, but to most people the record was a disappointing one ... A band of young men (season ticket holders, of course) set themselves to run up the figures by passing out and in frequently, but, even with their assistance, the total was a long way short of that 200,000 which had been so generally anticipated (Saturday 9th November;  page 85 in album; quote from page 86)

Front cover: A little more than a week has elapsed since the opening of the New Century International Exhibition, Glasgow, 1901, and it is already made evident to the experts that the prosperity of the vast undertaking is fully assured. Financially and otherwise it can safely be pronounced a vast success. We doubt if ever before it has been the lot of one to chronicle such a favourable fact in the preface of a guide book to an exhibition (quote from page 5)