1938 Empire Exhibition and a Glasgow industrialist at the centre of post war European regeneration

The 1938 Empire exhibition attracted over 12 million visitors to Bellahouston Park.  

The Scottish Development Council and in particular two of its members Sir James Lithgow, the industrialist and Britain`s foremost shipbuilder and the industrialist Sir Cecil Weir (see below), were the driving force behind this exhibition.

With regards to European connections, a fascinating character is Sir Cecil McAlpine Weir, the Glasgow industrialist Cecil McAlpine Weir (1890 - 1960), who had been involved in restarting industries in France and Germany at the end of WW2 and was best known for his work as head of the United Kingdom Delegation to the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community from 1952 to 1955, and earlier as a prominent figure in the Control Commission for Germany. More about Cecil M Weir in the links below:


Image thanks to B. Porr: 

You can still see where the Palace of Arts was as it is now converted into a sports centre, off Paisley Road West. Architects - http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/building_full.php?id=219186

A German sculptor, Benno Elkan (1877 - 1960) who produced a sculpture featured here but now at Edinburgh zoo:

http://www.glasgowsculpture.com/pg_biography.php?sub=elkan_b#

Digital recreation of the buildings from Glasgow School of Art: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJgYWcmCd6U

Location of the Glasgow Exhibition in 1938 -there was the Peace Pavilion - very timely in 1938...  also an interesting article about Scotland's place in Empire and Europe etc at the time and subsequently ... https://olh.openlibhums.org/articles/10.16995/olh.498/ You can still see the Palace of Art but it is now a sports centre. A very zoomable map is on this link: - https://universityofglasgowlibrary.wordpress.com/2018/05/10/the-empire-exhibition-80-years-on/   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Necropolis memorials to French and German figures from Glasgow industrial history

Image
The Glasgow Necropolis is a fascinating location and there is a huge amount of historical information that has been gathered and can be found on this website:  https://www.glasgownecropolis.org/ Three particular people we have highlighted here are the German Henry Dübs , the F renchman  Pierre  Jacques Papillon  and Professor Coats, who did some training in Wurzburg. All highlight the importance of European links in Glasgow's heritage. _____________________ Henry Dübs  At the Necropolis you can find a Memorial to Henry Dübs (1816 – 24 April 1876), a 19th century German-born engineer who worked in Glasgow. He was Works Manager and Company partner at Neilson and Company in Springburn, who built this locomotive for Finland : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_D%C3%BCbs . This exquisite technical drawing from Neilson & Company from the Science Museum collection: https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/documents/aa110094432/drawing-of-5-0-gauge-6-wheel...
Read more

Customs House

Image
Photo thanks to B.Porr Opened in 1840 and designed by an Irish born customs offical John Taylor, who worked for the customs. Still to be expanded and photograph needed!
Read more

Jenny Lind and Rouken Glen Park

Image
The area known as Jenny Lind in the South of Glasgow seems a strange place and way to commemorate the famous 19th-century Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind (1820-1887), known as the Swedish Nightingale (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenny_Lind) . It would seem that at some point she had put up in an inn (or farmhouse) in the area which changed its name in honour of the occasion. See https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/17330363.jenny-lind-glasgow-area-named-greatest-showman-star/ .  The area is part of the Stirling Maxwell estate, so one cannot help wondering if there is some link between this great artist and the wealthy family, as there was for Chopin. Jenny Lind’s presence on the Glasgow cultural scene, however, is better documented. The following advertisement is found in the  Glasgow Herald  on 29 September 1848 (alongside reports of Chopin’s visits, and concern regarding political developments in France). THEATRE ROYAL - JENNY LIND THE REMAINING TICKETS for the T...
Read more