| Set List | 08:00 International Wine Exhibition (Basement Cellars) and Dr. Leitner's Collections Exhibition (Gallery),
15:00 Organ Recital (Mr George Carter)
21:00 End |
| Performance Notes | The London International Exhibition was opened on 6 April 1874, Easter Monday, with a Grand Military and Vocal Concert in the Hall, and closed on 30 October 1874. The Exhibition was the last of four great International Exhibitions, held annually from 1871-1874, which had been held primarily in the South Kensington Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) gardens South and exhibition halls, whilst using the Royal Albert Hall's auditorium for concerts and its galleries for displays.
The purpose of these annual Exhibitions were to bring into useful comparison modern works of Science and Art produced by various nations, and to promote Science and Art applied to productive industry. In the words of Sir Henry Cole (Acting Commissioner), "these Exhibitions have been some means of advancing the happiness and prosperity not only of this but of all other countries, and of strengthening the bonds of peace and friendship throughout the world." ('A Special Report on the Annual International Exhibitions of the Years 1871, 1872, 1873 and 1874' , 6 May 1875)
During this exhibition, the Royal Albert Hall was used to display foreign wine in its brick vaults, which the public could also taste and buy glasses and / or bottles of. The object of the exhibition was not to exhibit bottles of wine but to enable the public to judge different kinds of foreign wines by actually tasting them. The largest collections of wine came from Portugal and Spain, the former occupying the whole of one of the large cellars with many thousand specimens on display. Wine exhibitors also came from Autria-Hungary, France, Italy, Australia, Russia, California, Serbia, and Greece. When the Hall's cellars first opened to the public it cost sixpence to enter but subsequently, at the request of the exhibitors, this charge was withdrawn and the public admitted for free.
Aftern the exhibition, a large quantity of Portuguese wine remained in the Hall's cellars, having been accidentally forgotten to be put on display during the exhibition. In order to help the Portuguese growers, who were understandably angry, General Henry Scott RE, architect of the Hall, and an ophthalmic surgeon called R Brudenell Carter, arranged a series of luncheon parties at South Kensington during which quantities of this wine were drunk and ordered by the guests. The parties were such a great success that they decided to go a step further: setting up a special organisation for wine lovers to try the best international wines at the fairest prices. This organisation became The Wine Society, still in existence today, with the original aim, 'To introduce foreign wines hitherto unknown'.
The Royal Albert Hall's gallery displayed artworks.
These included, "...the whole of Dr. Leitner's collections illustrating the past and present of the Punjab frontier, or various parts of Central Asia, of Thibet, and of Dardistan. The collections included a number of Graeco-Buddhist sculptures, Bactrian coins, rare manuscripts, and specimens of arts, manufactures, and commerce from Central Asia. Dr. Leitner has also brought over the first Siah Posh Kafir who has ever been south of the Sutlej river, or has visited Europe, and who will be daily in attendance at the Gallery of the Albert Hall during the forthcoming Exhibition."
(The Daily Telegraph, 28 March 1874)
Other displays at the Exhibition, but not at the Hall, were of fine arts, lace (hand and machine made); civil engineering, architectural and building contrivances including sanitary apparatus and construction, and cement and plaster work; recent scientific inventions and new discoveries; ethnological; heating; and leather including saddlery, harnesses, and bookbinding.
During the duration of the Exhibition, six day concerts were given in the Royal Albert Hall. The organist, Mr Carter, was additionally engaged to give a daily afternoon recital on the organ in the main auditorium. |
| Related Archival Material | Ticket (RAHE/8/5/1874/1) |