18

OPENING OF THE AMERICAN EXHIBITION IN LONDON

The exhibition of arts, manufactures, &c., of the United States, at West Brompton, was opened yesterday afternoon in the presence of a large assemblage of persons. At half-past three the Grenadiers' band played "Hail Columbia," after which Archdeacon Farrar led the company in prayer, invoking the blessing of the Almighty upon the undertaking. The band then played "God save the Queen," and Lord Ronald Gower, on behalf of the English Council, delivered an address of welcome to the American guests, and expressed a hope that the exhiption might be a bond of amity between England and America. Colonel Henry Russell, president of the exhibition, returned thanks, and Mr. John R. Whitley, director-general of the exhibition, explained that the exhibition had been organized solely by private inititaive, and it illustrated the aims and conditions of life on the North American Continent. After some national songs had been rendered, Colonel Russell started the machinery and proclaimed the Exhibition open. The assembly afterwards proceeded to witness the performance of Buffalo Bill's Wild West.

It is exclusively an exhibition of the arts, inventions, manufactures, products, and resources of the United States. The frankly expressed aim of its promoters is to do business. The exhibition is, in fact, a gigantic collection of commercial travellers' samples, the garders, music, and "Buffalo Bill" being thrown in to draw customers and advertise the wares. The executive intend "to illustrate to the people of Europe and to those buyers for the Colonies and South and Central America who reside permanently in London the excellence and variety of American industrial, mineral, and agricultural products." They make no secret of the fact that this exhibition is an effort to secure new markets and to extend American commerce. A considerable number of exhibitors will be allowed not only to manufacture their wares in the exhibition, but also to sell them "as the most effective means of extending their foreign business "relations." The prospects of the exhibiton goes o to say:- "One of the first practical results of the American Exhibiton will probably be the establishment in London of a permanent American emporium, where Europeans will be able to purchase American inventions, manufacturers, and products as readily as fruit or flowers at Covent Garden market. For some years pas the American consults in Europe have been writing to the tate Department at Washington urging the estasblishment abroad of permanent exhibitions of American productions as a practical method of developing a foreigh demand, and it is now likely these expressions will find ultimate embodiment in the permanent emporium above referred to."

The main Exhibition building is in Lillie Bridgeraod, close by West Brompton Station. The interior is 1,140 ft. long and 130 ft. wide, and will be divided into streets and avenues running at right angles to each other, after the fashion of American towns. West of the large court is a restaurant and an art gallery, 160 ft. long and 80 ft. wide. the exhibits are divided into six departments, agroculture (which, in defiance of etymology, comprises that very interacting branch of American industry- fish culture), mining and metallurgy, machinery, maufactures, education, and taken a hint from the Colonial Exhibition, where it was foudn that visitiors would be entranced by any machine that was actually going round and by any workman who was actually employed in his craft. Accordingly, in the American Exhibiton much of the machinery will be in motion, and in many cases the process of manufacturing the article which is exhibited will be shows. It is yet too early to criticise the exhibits, for on Saturday scarcely a single stall was in order. However, it is hoped that by working all night the Exhibition may be brought into something like order when it is opened this afternoon. In an [?] will be found an admirable zoological collection. The bears are particularly find, and so are the elks and deer. The head of a bighorn or Rocky Mountain sheep, shown by the International Fur Company, is perhaps the msot magnificent specimen ever seen. Of American art it si difficulr to speak, because, in fact, there is no American school. In America artists have not yet advanced beyione the imitative stage. You see and recognise this or that style, but all the styles are familiar to you. Especially you notice what is called the academic style, which bears the same relation to original work as the essay of a clever youth tryhing for a scholarship at Oxford beats to an article by Mr. Ruskin or Professor Huxley. Still our connoisseurs will be greatly pleased with the American art galery. One of the most noteworthy pictures is a full-length and life-size portrait of her Majesty in her coronation robes. This was the work of Sully, the first American who attained to eminence as an artist. Benjamin West was, of course, an American; but as West left America before the independence of the United States he has always been classes among out own painters. The American art gallery will contain a large and good collection of his works. Of the pictures already unpacked perhaps the most remarkable are CalifornianTrees and the Yosemite Valley, by Bierstadt; Beight October, Coast of Maine, by P. L. Senat; Deborah, by Sarah Dobson; Edwin Booth as Isgo, by T. Hicks; Portrait of Cardinal Archbishop Gibbons, by Realy; a sunset, by L. Hamilton; a seaside scene, by J. B. Sword; and a immense picture of Christian Martyrs, by Rothermel. A case of miniatures on ivory bt J. H. Brown myst nto be overlooked. These miniatures are exquisite, and perhaps the gems of the whole art collection. Mr. Turner, the sculprot, who is a Rhode Islander by birth, though he works in Florence, sends two marble figurs, one of Sabrins and the other called "The Fisherman's Daughter"- a little child looking eagerly seaward. Neither rises, or perhaps is intended to rise, much beyond prettiness, but the modeling is admirable. In the art gallery will also be found a large model of the town hall now being built in Philadelphia, which the Americans have determined- as on old times the Florentines did when their Ducmo was erected- shall be the finest building in the world. It is all of white marble, and the central tower is 700 ft. high. By way of comparison it may be mentioned that he spire of Salisbury Cathedral is only 404 ft. high, and the cross of St. Paul's Cathedra only 360 ft.

That the American Exhibiton will excite considerable curiosity among commercial men and that the causual pleasure-seeker will also find in it much to entertain him cannot be doubted, bit in all probability next tot he "Wild West" show in gardens will prove most attractive to the average visitor. There are twelve acres in extent, and considering that only a few weeks ago they were waste ground they have been laid out with remarkable rapiditiy and equal success. Here the ingenuous youth of London will find an immense tobogganing slide, and there is also a "swithc back" railway, the undulating and wriggling aspect of which is alone calculated to "upset" the strongest interior, and which will prove correspondingly delightful to all right-minded excutsionists. Moeover there is a sodawater and fruit syrup can be produced in any quantity. The beds are to contain specimens of American plants, and the "corn," as they call the maize plant in America, is already growing healthily. the band of the Grenadier Guards will perform these gardens during the time when the Exhibition is open; and besides fance devices by Messrs. James Pain and Son, the grounds will be illuminate dby 200 electric lights each of 2,000 candle power, and by nine huge "search lights" eachof 10,000 candle power.