Souvenir of Dublin Exhibition (1907) Photo (2)

The Irish International Exhibition was the key social event of the first decade. It was hosted on the grounds of Herbert Park in Ballsbridge between May and November of 1907. The aim was to promote domestic industry by showcasing Irish products, as well as encouraging the development of commercial links by inviting all countries to exhibit their goods. Nearly three million visitors came to ogle at everything from industrial machinery to fine art, but the main attraction was a full-scale Somali village and the rare whimsy of a water chute and switchback railway. The first of these pictures shows the central exhibition hall; the other captures a scene from O'Connell Bridge.

Scene from O'Connell Bridge