The Glasgow Herald produced a special supplement for the Empire Exhibition in 1938. This imaginative photo-montage on the cover captures the spirit of the occasion. The spectacular Tait's Tower lit up at night along with fountains and cascades provided enduring images of the Exhibition.
After a dry spring which allowed the Exhibition to be completed on time, the summer of 1938 was one of the worst on record, which undoubtedly affected attendances. The Munich crisis over Hitler's demands on Czechoslovakia, which almost led to war with Germany, may have dampened enthusiasm for public entertainment. Although the number of visits reached an apparently healthy 12,593,232, this was lower than the organisers had hoped for and the Exhibition’s guarantors had to pay 3s 5d (approximately 17p) in the pound to cover the financial losses. But those who did attend were full of praise for the spectacle and the great variety of exhibits on offer.
Reference: Mitchell Library, GC f606.4 (1938)
From the Glasgow Herald, reproduced with the permission of SMG Newspapers Ltd
Keywords:
cascades, Empire Exhibition, Empire Tower, exhibitions, fountains, Glasgow Herald, night scenes, Tait's Tower, Tower of Empire