South African International Exhibition
# South African International Exhibition

The South African International Exhibition held in Cape Town, Cape Colony was a world's fair held in 1877 which opened on 15 February by Henry Bartle Frere.

## Location

The exhibition was held in the grounds of the Lodge de Goede Hoop which was being used for the Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope in a building erected for the exhibition. The building was built of wood, iron, and glass which measured 184 x 78 feet; 56 feet high; and cost £10,027.

## 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 (perfume, medicine and surgical equipment), furniture, fabric and jewellery, transport, hardware, machinery, agriculture, science and education, and miscellany.

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 (and another a year later at the Paris exhibition).

There were 395 exhibitors from 14 nations:

* Africa: Cape Colony, Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal
* America: USA
* Asia: India
* Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bohemia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Prussia, Sweden, Switzerland.

## Aftermath

After the exhibition, the main building was used as an assembly hall and a theatre, known as the Exhibition Theatre. In the afternoon of 21 February 1892, carpenters and scenery painters were preparing for a new play when a fire broke out about 3:30, near the theatre entrance. In less than one hour, the entire building was destroyed along with the adjoining Masonic Lodge and Native Affairs Office.

