Glasgow International Exhibition (1901)

The Glasgow International Exhibition was the second of 4 international exhibitions held in Glasgow, Scotland during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The exhibition followed the lead of the previous Glaswegian exhibition in 1888 and took place at Kelvingrove Park. It ran between 2 May and 4 November and was opened by the Duchess of Fife.

It marked the opening of the city's Art Gallery and also commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the first world's fair held in the UK doubled its attendance with 11.5 million visits.

Following the style popularised at the 1893 Chicago and 1901 Buffalo world's fairs the main exhibition building was in Renaissance-Baroque style. But the large industrial hall contrasted strongly having a large white facade with Spanish, Turkish and Venetian ornamentation and a large golden dome atop. This design by Scottish architect James Miller won him one of his many awards. Countries with close ties to Glasgow exhibited including Japan, Canada and Russia. The Russian exhibition was the largest, a 'Russian village' of 4 pavilions reported to have cost the Tsar of Russia £30 000 and included several brightly coloured buildings designed by Fyodor Schechtel.

Whilst Charles Mackintosh's designs for the major exhibition halls were rejected, he did design four pavilions for commercial organisations, and one for the Glasgow School of Art.

Many art works were displayed, including Danae by Edward Burne-Jones, a plaster version of Rodin's Burghers of Calais and 160 works loaned by William Burrell.

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