| Main Performers | Selected from:
Camille Saint-Saens,
William Best,
Anton Bruckner,
Herr Wilhelm Heintze,
Herr Johann Lohr,
Herr Schneider,
M Mailly,
Herr Tod,
Herr Henrici - organ |
| Set List | 12:00 Organ Recitals,
13:00 Daily Lecture on the Objects of the Exhibition (Mr Buckmaster) in the Arena,
15:00 Organ Recitals |
| Performance Notes | The London International Exhibition of 1871 attracted 1,142,154 visitors with 35 nations and British colonies exhibiting. The 1871 exhibition was divided into four divisions: Fine Arts, Manufactures, Scientific Inventions and New Discoveries of All Kinds, and Horticulture. The manufacturing division focused itself mainly upon the manufacture of pottery and terracotta and woollen and worsted goods. There were no prizes but each exhibitor was given a certificate for their display at the exhibition.
Following this exhibition the idea was that an exhibition should be given annually with different classes of goods being displayed each year until the 11th year when the order began again. However, these annual exhibitions only ran from 1871-1874.
The event was held in the South Kensington Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) gardens (to the south of the Royal Albert Hall), the Royal Albert Hall and permanent exhibition buildings paid for by the 1851 Commissioners and designed by Colonel Henry Young Darracott Scott RE.The exhibition site took up 100 acres of land to the south of the Royal Albert Hall. Some sources indicate that the acreage used, likely for the structures themselves, was between six and twelve acres.
Season tickets for the 22 week-long exhibition were available. Daily tickets cost 2 shilling 6d (Wednesday) and 1 shilling (other days).
The Exhibition was open every day except Sundays from 8am (Season ticket holders) or 10am (Regular ticket holders).
Spaces used within the Royal Albert Hall:
- A display of architecture, engravings, photography and watercolours was held in the Hall's picture gallery (at the top of the main auditorium).
- Educational objects were displayed in the Hall's East Theatre (today the Coda restaurant) and West Theatre (today the Elgar Room). These objects comprised various contrivances for facilitating education and schoolwork generally such as models of school buildings, specimens of school fittings, furniture, books, maps, globes, physical training equipment, games and toys.
- A display of woollen and worsted items was held in the south crush rooms (today the Verdi restaurant and Circle Level Offices on the 1st and 2nd floors to the south of the building).
- A series of 84 organ recitals were held in July, twice a day, at midday and 3pm in the main auditorium. The organ concerts showcased the newly completed Willis organ and were performed by organists from France, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Britain. These included Mr Thomas Best, Camille Saint-Saens, Herr Lindemann, Herr Tod and Herr Henrici (The Monthly Musical Records, 1 October 1871). The Royal Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1851 offered a fee of £50 to any foreign organist of mark and merit for eight days' performance. Organists who this attracted included Herr Heintze, Herr Johann Lohr, Herr Schneider, Herr Anton Bruckner and M Mailly (The Musical World, 19 August 1871).
- A series of 13 day concerts were given in the main auditorium.
Non-Royal Albert Hall spaces used:
- Pottery and foreign pictures were in the new exhibition galleries, facing Exhibition Road.
- Machinery in motion, scientific inventions and British pictures were in the new Exhibition galleries, facing the Albert Road. 'The Key', a daily eight page guide to the exhibition was printed daily by the machinery on display.
- Food was served in the Royal Horticultural Society Halls, adjacent to the Royal Albert Hall.
- Daily performances (132 in total) were given by military bans in the grounds of the RHS gardens or conservatory, and in the case of poor weather, inside the Royal Albert Hall.
More information can be found Chapter XII of the Survey of London: Volume 38, South Kensington Museums Area https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol38/pp196-200 |
| Related Archival Material | Illustrations (RAHE/9/1871/4/OS, 4-6) |
| Ticket Prices | 1s, 2s 6d, 3l 3s (season ticket) |