Empire Exhibition, South Africa

EXPO Johannesburg 1936–1937

Advertising poster for steam ship to the exhibition
Overview
BIE-class Unrecognised exposition
Name Empire Exhibition; South Africa
Area Milner Park (now the University of the Witwatersrand west campus)
Visitors 1500000,[1] or over 2 million[2]
Organized by The "Buy Empire Goods (South African and Overseas) Committee" of Johannesburg, with the City Council of Johannesburg and the Union Government[3]
Location
Country Union of South Africa
City Johannesburg
Coordinates 26°11′23″S 28°01′33″E / 26.1896°S 28.0259°E / -26.1896; 28.0259Coordinates: 26°11′23″S 28°01′33″E / 26.1896°S 28.0259°E / -26.1896; 28.0259
Timeline
Opening 15 September 1936
Closure 15 January 1937

The Empire Exhibition, South Africa, held in Johannesburg, was intended to mark that city's jubilee and was opened by the Governor General on 15 September 1936.[3] It was the first exhibition held in the Union of South Africa[3] following two earlier exhibitions in Cape Colony in 1877 and 1892.[4]

The Schlesinger African Air Race was held in conjunction with the exhibition, with I W Schlesinger giving £10 000 in prize money.[5]

Participants

There was a Palestine temple exhibition showing models of the Tabernacle of Moses, temples of Adrianus, Herod, Justinian, Solomon and Zrubabel, the mosque of Omar and a panorama of Jerusalem.[6]

Provinces

The Western Province's exhibit was displayed in Cape House, designed in Cape Dutch style. This building became the staff club at the West Campus of the University of the Witwatersrand.[7]

Organisations

The Victoria Falls and Transvaal Power Company (now Eskom) sponsored the building of an art deco tower made of reinforced concrete which overlooked the main axis of the fair. This remained standing after the fair and after a period of use as the north tower of a cable car system became a tuck shop and security office for the University of the Witwatersrand's west campus.[8] The Transvaal Chamber of Mines had a pavilion with dioramas, fountains, a pillar replesenting the gold output from the Witwatersrand mines from 1933 to 1935, and a life size replica of mine workings.[9] There was a hall of South African Industries,[10] a South African Iron and Steel Industry pavilion,[11] and the British South Africa Company presented a series of pictures to represent the history of Rhodesia (Southern Rhodesia).

Landscaping and leisure

There were rockeries designed by Pieter Hugo Naudé,[12] an Afrikaner restaurant[13] and the first ice rink in South Africa.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Coe, Cati, Histories of Empire, Nation, and City: Four Interpretations of the Empire Exhibition, Johannesburg, 1936
  2. ↑ "Johannesburg 1936... Keeping an eye out for souvenir survivals | The Heritage Portal". Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 "Empire Exhibition". Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  4. ↑ "From the Great Exhibition to the Festival of Britain, 1851 – 1951" (PDF). p. 8. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  5. ↑ "THE SOUTH AFRICA RACE Regulations Now Issued : The Handicap Formula" (PDF). Royal Aero Club. 2 July 1936. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  6. ↑ "Slideshow of Empire Exhibition: Palestine Temple Pavilion photos". Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  7. ↑ "Empire Exhibition: Cape House details". Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  8. ↑ "Tower of Light, West Campus, University of the Witwatersrand details". Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  9. ↑ "Empire Exhibition: Transvaal Chamber of Mines Pavilion details". Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  10. ↑ "Empire Exhibition: Hall of South African Industries details". Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  11. ↑ "Empire Exhibition: South African Iron and Steel Industry details". Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  12. ↑ "Pieter Hugo Naudé – South African Artist From Art History".
  13. ↑ "Empire Exhibition: Outspan – The Afrikaner Restaurant details". Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  14. ↑ Hughes, Dorothy L. "Johannesburg 1036–1937". In Findling, John E; Pelle, Kimberley D. Encyclopedia of World's Fairs and Expositions. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 289. ISBN 9780786434169.
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