The Royal Jubilee Exhibition of 1887 was held in Old Trafford, Manchester, England, to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria's reign. It was opened by Princess Alexandra, wife of Edward, the Prince of Wales, on 3 May 1887, and remained open for 166 days, during which time there were 4.5 million paying visitors, 74,600 in one day alone.[1]
The site chosen for the construction of the purpose-built exhibition halls was the present-day White City retail park, then the Royal Botanical Gardens. Amusements such as tobogganning slides and a sports arena were also provided, and decorations were provided by Ford Madox Brown[2] with assisted by Susan Dacre[3]
The buildings were constructed from cast iron gas pipes, and had large glazed areas.[4] The main building was in the shape of a cross,[5] with a 150-foot (46 m) high central dome 90 feet (27 m) in diameter, from which radiated four long galleries.[6]. Temporary sidings for the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway were completed in 1886, to provide convenient access for visitors.