WREXHAM ART TREASURES AND INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION

In January 1876 the Duke of Westminster promised to become a guarantor for the sum
of 100 for the Wrexham Art Exhibition which was to take place in August, and in
March the same year at the closing ceremony of the Rhyl Eisteddfod the President
stated that he was very pleased to know that in Wrexham, there was to be an Arts and
Treasures Exhibition, to be held in connection with the Wrexham Eisteddfod.
By April, notices were placed in newspapers stating that Applications for space in
the Industrial Department for exhibiting Works of Modern Art and Inventions of a
Scientific and Domestic nature (if practicable in operation) are requested as early as
possible, and tenders were invited to supply refreshments of a superior kind for a
period of three months. The exhibition was due to open on July 15th 1876.
In May, a meeting of the Executive Committee was held in London, those present
were Major Cornwallis West, Chairman; Mr Charles Bowyer; Mr John Thomas,
musical director; and Mr W Chaffers, general superintendent of the South Kensington
Museum.
Musical arrangements were discussed and it was decided that Messrs. Gray and
Davidson should erect a fine and powerful organ in the orchestra to give fine effect
to the grand music of Handel, Hayden, Mozart etc, aided by choirs from Wales and
the border counties.
Mr Chaffers told the committee that he had acquired a most important collection of
over 2,400 engraved gems formed by a gentleman who had spent over 40 years in the
pursuit of his craft, and that he was also was cataloguing a collection of gothic iron
work, which was made in Italy and France and illustrated the art of the iron workers
from the 11th to the 17th century.

Many other collections had been secured, paintings from many important collections
including Gainsborough, Turner, Wilson, Van Dyke, bronzes, English and foreign
china, prehistoric flint weapons, Wedgewood jasper ware and much more .
A report on the construction stated that 50 men are constantly employed in the
erection of the large structure in which is to be held the forthcoming Art Treasures and
Industrial Exhibition. The building of which Mr Kennedy is the architect and Mr W E
Samuel is the builder is approached by a main entrance from Hope St. Mr Low`s new
premises forming a frontage to the pavilion. On either side of the entrance is the
museum which will occupy the whole of Mr Low`s new premises with a covered way
78 ft long, leading into the entrance hall, thence into the art gallery which is 130 ft x
70 ft , the whole area being 10.380 ft.
The bottom end of the art gallery where the organ and orchestra was situated was 33 ft
high, with a zinc roof with 25 dormer lights in addition to skylights.
There was also a reading room, retiring room with a lavatory, a second class
refreshment room and buffet, and another room led to a first class refreshment room.
A large stained glass window faced the main entrance in Hope St and a road was built
15 ft wide from Egerton St for exit only.

The exhibition was opened in July by the Duke of Westminster, and by then many
more exhibits had been acquired, with items contributed by Mr W E Gladstone, Sir W
W Wynn, Sir R Brooke, Earl Denbigh, Lord Penrhyn, Sir Reginald Chomlondley was
the largest contributor with no less than 41 paintings on show.

The Duke expressed his disappointment that the Prince and Princess of Wales were
unable to attend the opening of either this or the Eisteddfod due to take place the next
month. He expected that the number of visitors would be about 1000 each day which
would ensure the Exhibitions financial success.
The event was then declared open and a vocal and instrumental concert was given,
with Mr Best presiding at the organ, Mr J Thomas conducting the band. Madame
Edith Wynne had been announced to sing but was suffering from hoarseness and
unable to attend.
In August a report in the Wrexham Advertiser on the exhibition stated that the
attendance was not as high as expected, and that it was possible that many people
were not aware of the `great musical treat` in the Art Gallery. No expense had been
spared in securing the best artists, Madame Sinico, Mr Vernon Rigby, Signor
Campobello were among the vocalists, Miss Bessie Waugh on the pianoforte, Mr John
Thomas at the harp and Mr Edwin Harris at the organ. Also appearing was the
Birkenhead Cambrian Choral Union along with the band of the 106th Regiment.
The Chester Courant said that regret was felt when they heard of the low attendance,
the art exhibition was one of the best ever held in the provinces and that the only thing
wanting to ensure success was the support of the public. It was felt that if such great
effort met with scant recognition, it would be said by many critics that the people of
North Wales are indifferent to fine arts. It was hoped that large employers in the area
would stimulate their workmen to visit, and that on certain days schools were allowed
to attend.
The exhibition ended on Monday 27th November, it was stated that in the four months
it had been open over 80,000 people had attended.
MAJOR CORNWALLIS WEST ON THE FAILURE OF THE WREXHAM ART
TREASURES EXHIBITION
In March 1877 a letter was printed in the Wrexham Advertiser from Major Cornwallis
West to the Mayor of Wrexham, on the accounts of the Exhibition which showed that
receipts had fallen short of expenditure by 4,215 15s 9d.
My Dear Sir - As you have kindly consented at my request in conjunction with Col.
Jones V.C. to audit the accounts connected with the Wrexham Art Treasures
Exhibition, I consider it desirable as the chairman of the Committee to send you a
report explanatory as far as possible of the serious deficit which exists, and of the
embarrassment consequent upon it and in doing so express regret that the result of so
much labour and anxiety should have been in (a financial point of view) so disastrous
and so calculated to throw discredit upon the gentlemen who were the principal
promoters of the Exhibition.
He goes on to write
The Building.
The largest item of expenditure was the building, which had been originally estimated
by Mr Kennedy, the architect to cost 2.500, but later it was found that more rooms
were needed and alterations had to be made to the original plan.
Decorating and Colouring.
For decorating the walls, roof and pillars no contract were given and work was paid
for on a daily basis, therefore no definite notion of cost was given.

The Contract
The time given and accepted for the contract was too short , and led to a great strain
on the contractor Mr Samuel, resulting in a great deal of work being done hurriedly
without any idea of the cost.
Want of a Suitable Public Building in Wrexham.
If any suitable building had existed in Wrexham, this could have been used, even if a
temporary addition was to have been made. As there was no such building and it was
desired that the exhibition should run in conjunction with the National Eisteddfod
there was no other alternative but for temporary buildings the cost of which was
confidently expected to be met by the large influx of visitors.
Hope of Promoters Unfulfilled.
The hopes of the promoters were unfulfilled, and that it was useless to deny that
although the attractions on show and the daily performances by the musicians, the
mass of the people were decidedly backward in their patronage. It was estimated that
no more than 50.000 visited in the four months of its existence, in a town with close
proximity by rail to Chester, Birkenhead, Liverpool, Oswestry, Shrewsbury and the
whole of Wales with its population of over 1,000,000.
It was acknowledged that the grand concerts were perhaps ambitious, but considering
the national instinct of the Welsh for music and the novelty of a complete orchestra it
was supposed that great interest would be felt, however at least 500 was lost by the
concerts. They would have not been continued after their unremunerative character
became apparent, but a binding contract had been made between the leader of the
orchestra and the musical director of the concerts which the former was disciplined to
rescind.
Low Charge of Admission.
He goes on to say that in his opinion the greatest error was the low cost of admission.
By an agreement with the railway companies made at a meeting, it was decided that a
reduced sum of 6d instead of 1s would be given to any person who presented a special
railway ticket at the turnstile. In agreeing to this, especially after the Exhibition had
been decided on, and the railway companies had them at their mercy, he said that this
was a serious financial mistake that he has never ceased to regret, for it greatly
affected the daily receipts without influencing the number of visitors. It was thought
that when the arrangement was made that the working classes would take advantage
of the reduced fares and nominal admission charge, but they made very little use of
the offer. The result was that people were daily admitted for 6d who could well have
afforded to pay five times that amount.
Stagnation in Trade
The disinclination in trade by all large employers, to whom personal applications had
been made to influence their workmen to visit the Exhibition or to send them there
was disappointing in one source of expected income, and with the rumours of war had
unsettled many and made them indifferent to matters which in more peaceful times
would have been of great interest.
The Officials.
It was considered that the expenses were not overly high and their services had been
needed before and after the Exhibition for a time of nearly 10 months. It had also been
required to have a staff to guard the precious objects and the great liability of the
building to the effects of storm and wind made it necessary to have men constantly
employed to watch for leakage, broken glass or other damage.

The Industrial Annexe.

This was an addition made by the request of many gentlemen from Wrexham, but the
cost of erecting the building was not repaid by the rents, resulting in a loss.
Exhibiton Band
Weekly expenses were much enhanced by payments to the band, and Major West
wrote that personally he was not favourable for it to be continued when it proved how
little interest the Exhibition had shown to the masses, but he was persuaded by others
to let it continue. There was no doubt that it afforded a constant and harmless source
of entertainment, especially in the evening, to a large number of persons in Wrexham,
to whom Works of Art were on no interest.
Another factor was the miserable result of sale of effects at the Exhibition
Major West acknowledged the generosity of the gentleman who consented to become
guarantors, and expressed regret and surprise at the necessity to call upon them for
payment in full.
He said that although errors may have been committed in the expectation of popular
support, but that the promoters had the consolation of knowing that that they had
collected some of the finest and rarest examples of ancient and modern art ever seen
in the Provinces. What the outcome of this may be, who can judge, that is cannot be
for evil and may be good is certain, notwithstanding the disastrous financial failure, it
will long linger in the memory of those who were capable of an intelligent interest in
it`s aims and object.
There followed an itemised summary of receipts and expenditure of the event.
Receipts, 12,153,14s 11d
Balance Sheet.
Dr.
Total amount of Guarantee fund, 2,295,10s 0d
Less cash not yet paid into Bank. 620,0,0
Cash temporarly advanced to meet liabilities 4,838,15s 9d.
Cr.
By balance brought from Expenditure Account 6.511,5s 9d.
We have examined the above accounts and seen correct receipts for cash, ammonting
in the aggregate to the sum of 12,153,14s 11d which has been expended by the
Executive Committee under the personal responsibility of Mr Cornwallis West, solely
on account of the Wrexham Art Treasures Exhibition.
Auditors; Mr J Bierne, Mayor , Alfred Jones Leuit Col.
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The location of the Exhibition can be still recognised from the plans, the entrance
from Hope Street, is an archway and buildings leading from Regent Street to Argyle
Street.
They were designed and built by William Low in 1875 and a mural and plaque on
Argyle Street commemorate his achievements.
William Low was the Scottish engineer who formed the Channel Tunnel Company
and drew up the first realistic plans for a tunnel under the channel.