The Industrial Hall provides a striking background for this photograph of a gondola on the River Kelvin, 1901. As in 1888, the gondola and its gondoliers were brought over from Venice and were major attractions at the International Exhibition of 1901.
On the right of the photograph can be seen the water chute, which offered visitors the dubious pleasure of a plunge into the river on a small boat. Other popular features from 1888 that were revived for the International Exhibition of 1901 were the switchback railway, electric launches and the shooting gallery. Novelties included a miniature railway, biographs and the Indian Theatre.
Reference: Mitchell Library, GC f606.4 (1901)
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries and Archives
Keywords:
electric launches, exhibitions, gondolas, gondoliers, Indian Theatre, Industrial Hall, International Exhibition, 1888, International Exhibition, 1901, River Kelvin, water chutes