Colonial and Indian Exhibition
1886 London exhibition showcasing colonial and Indian artifacts.
The 1886 Colonial and Indian Exhibition in South Kensington, London, aimed to boost trade and reinforce imperial ties, as the Prince of Wales put it. Queen Victoria opened the event, which drew 5.5 million visitors before it ended. The exhibition occupied specially built structures styled after Indian architecture.
New Zealand’s display included a suggestion to use native woods for showcases, a fernery, and frozen mutton to highlight its farming. A carved pātaka from the 1850s, a Ngati Pikiao chief’s tomb, and Māori portraits by Gottfried Lindauer were part of a large collection assembled by naturalist Walter Buller. The fine art section featured over a hundred paintings, mostly New Zealand landscapes, including Kennett Watkins’ *The Haunt of the Moa, a Scene in a Purini Forest* (1885). Other exhibits ranged from a ceremonial sword from Lagos to a grasshopper swatter from the Straits Settlements, while Albert Bierstadt’s painting of the Bahamas after a norther was shown in the West Indian gallery and admired by the Prince of Wales.
Indian artware was arranged by princely states. The Rajputana entrance featured a large Jaipur gate provided by the Maharaja of Jaipur. A Gwalior gateway, previously displayed at the 1883 Calcutta International Exhibition, was loaned by the Victoria and Albert Museum. Several dozen Indian artisans demonstrated their crafts; these men were said to come from an Agra prison, and historians note their presence was part of a colonial effort to show reform of “criminal castes.”
The Jaipur Gate was renovated in 2004 and now stands at Hove Museum and Art Gallery. The Gwalior gateway was re-erected in gallery 48A of the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum), but is hidden behind a modern facade. The Durbar Hall from the exhibition is displayed at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery.
- event_type
- Exhibition
- location
- South Kensington, London
- year_opened
- 1886
- visitors
- 5.5 million
- opened_by
- Queen Victoria
- stated_goal
- Stimulate commerce and strengthen imperial bonds
Lore & Background
The exhibition featured displays from across the British Empire. The New Zealand Court included a fernery, a display of frozen mutton, a pātaka (storehouse) carved in the 1850s, the tomb of a Ngati Pikiao chief, and Māori portraits by Gottfried Lindauer. The fine art section contained over one hundred paintings, mostly New Zealand landscapes, including Kennett Watkins' The Haunt of the Moa, a Scene in a Puriri Forest (1885).
Other exhibits included a ceremonial sword from Lagos, a grasshopper swatter from the Straits Settlements, and Albert Bierstadt's painting After A Norther displayed in the West Indian gallery. The Indian artware section was divided by princely states, featuring a large Jaipur gate provided by the Maharaja of Jaipur and a Gwalior gateway loaned by the Victoria and Albert Museum. Several dozen Indian artisans, reputedly from a prison in Agra, demonstrated their crafts, part of an effort to 'reform the criminal castes'.
Reader's Guide
The Colonial and Indian Exhibition of 1886 was a major imperial event that aimed to showcase the resources and cultures of Britain's colonies, particularly India, while reinforcing commercial and political ties. Its 5.5 million visitors reflected widespread public interest. The exhibition's legacy includes the survival of several architectural elements: the Jaipur Gate, renovated in 2004, is at Hove Museum and Art Gallery; the Gwalior gateway was re-erected at the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum), though now hidden behind a modern facade; and the Durbar Hall is displayed at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery. The exhibition also highlighted tensions in colonial display, such as the presence of Indian artisans from a prison, framed as part of a reform project. Its collections and photographs remain in institutions like the British Museum.
Did You Know?
- The exhibition was opened by Queen Victoria and received 5.5 million visitors.
- A pātaka (storehouse) carved in the 1850s was part of the Maori collection assembled by naturalist Walter Buller.
- The Jaipur Gate built for the exhibition was renovated in 2004 and is now at Hove Museum and Art Gallery.
- Several dozen Indian artisans at the exhibition were reputedly from a prison in Agra.
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