Date: 1885

Origin: CNE Archives

Pictured here is the 1885 Prize List Front Cover featuring the Crystal Palace & the Lighting Tower. This colour lithograph showed the illumination of the Exhibition provided by the lighting tower. Outdoor lighting was a feature of the early exhibitions. As announced in the 1883 Prize List: “The grounds and buildings will be illuminated each evening with Electric Lights of all kinds invented up to the present time; and the Consumers’ Gas Company, of Toronto, announce that they will make an exhibit of gas lights announce that they will make an exhibit of gas lights that will eclipse the electric lights.” Public admission to the grounds in 1885 was 25 cents. People had to walk through turnstiles to get in and, warned the prize list sternly in bold type. Each person must be provided the proper change before entering.