| Chapter 1: | A Matter for Serious Regret |
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Chapter 1
A Matter for Serious Regret
(Chapter title derived from the Devonshire Commission)
If other people are educating their artisans and we do not educate ours, then notwithstanding our natural ability, others must pass us in the end.1
Introduction
The success of the Great Exhibition led to a number of similar events that were held in cities around the world. Dublin hosted the Great Industrial Exhibition in 1853 that attracted 1 million visitors but made a loss of £19,000. In 1853–1854, the Americans staged the World’s Fair of the Works of Industry of All Nations in New York. Despite the fact that nearly 1.25 million people passed through its doors, stockholders were obliged to repay a total debt of £70,000. The French held their first Exposition Universelle on the Champs-Élysées in 1855. Even though the exhibition attracted over 5 million visitors, it was also a financial disaster, losing 8 million francs in seven months.