South African International Exhibition
The South African International Exhibition was a world's fair held in Cape Town, Cape Colony in 1877. It was officially opened on 15 February of that year by Henry Bartle Frere.
Location
The exhibition was held inside a custom-made building that was constructed out of glass and iron in a style reminiscent of The Crystal Palace that housed London's Great Exhibition. It was located on the grounds of the Freemasons' Lodge de Goede Hoop, which was being used as the Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope at that time.Exhibits
During 1876, Signor Cagli had canvassed American and European industries to exhibit “manufactures of all kinds”, which were to be grouped in 10 classes: alimentation, chemicals, furniture, fabric and jewelry, transport vehicles and equipment, hardware, machinery, agriculture, science and education, and miscellany such as fire extinguishers. Cagli's proposal was supported by the then-Colonial Secretary, Lord Carnarvon.The only countries and colonies with known recorded exhibitors include Great Britain, the Cape Colony, Natal, the Orange Free State, and Griqualand West. However, representatives of the exhibition organizers were present and accepting submissions during the preceding months in "Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Turin and Amsterdam." As such, it seems likely that exhibitors from France, the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Kingdom of Italy, and the Netherlands also presented at the fair. Individual exhibitors included: Wertheim safes; Taylor's sewing machines, who won a medal; Sheffield-based Samuel Marshall, who showed hooks, hay knives, scythes and sheep shears; and linen manufacturers Rylands & Sons, who won a prize.