The Empire Exhibition was opened on 3 May 1938 by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The opening ceremony was followed by a tour of the Exhibition. The photograph shows the royal party leaving the Canadian Pavilion.
The actual opening ceremony was held at nearby Ibrox Park, home of Rangers Football Club. This allowed a much larger crowd to witness the occasion than would have been the case at the Exhibition grounds. In his speech, the King paid tribute to the enterprise and initiative of Scots, both in their contribution to establishing the British Empire and in setting up the Exhibition.
Ibrox Park was also used as a venue for a number of sporting events, tattoos and displays associated with the Exhibition. The one that attracted the largest crowds was an Anglo-Scottish football tournament, which was won by Celtic. The trophy was a replica of the Tower of Empire.
Reference: Mitchell Library, GC f607.4 (1938)
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
Canadian Pavilion, Empire Exhibition, Empire Tower, exhibitions, football, Glasgow Celtic FC, Glasgow Rangers FC, Ibrox Park, Ibrox Stadium, opening ceremonies, Tait's Tower, Tower of Empire
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