TheGlasgowStory 

Skip Navigation / Jump to Content

Featured Images

The Bricklayers
The Bricklayers

Partick Coat of Arms
Partick Coat of Arms

Empire Exhibition

Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection

*Open in New Window
Empire Exhibition

Bellahouston Park hosted the Empire Exhibition of 1938. The venue for Glasgow's three previous major exhibitions, Kelvingrove Park, was considered too small for this, the largest exhibition ever mounted in Scotland, on the fiftieth anniversary of the International Exhibition of 1888.

This plan indicates some of the advantages of Bellahouston Park. The exhibition site, some 187 acres, was mainly flat but with a hill in the centre to provide a focus. Two major roads, Paisley Road West and Mosspark Boulevard, run alongside the site and brought crowds by bus and tram. There are two railway stations shown, Ibrox Station being specially built for the Exhibition. The provision of a car park with a capacity of 10,000 was a sign of the times.

In 1938 Glasgow was emerging from an economic depression which had hit the city's traditional industries hard. It was hoped the Empire Exhibition would encourage optimism for the future.

Reference: Mitchell Library, GC 606.4 (1938)

Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning

Keywords:
Bellahouston Park, Empire Exhibition, exhibitions, Ibrox Station, Kelvingrove Park, plans, railway stations



Quick Search


Photo Album

You have 0 images in your photo album.

View Photo Album

Log-In (Optional)

username:
password:
Not a user? Register now for FREE!

Other Options