The Paris Exhibition - a trip by Hull workers - Part one

"Visit of Hull Workmen to the Paris Exhibition – report of the Visit” [L.331.8] – Part One

The binding alone on this incredible souvenir volume is well worth a look - exquisitely bound with the Eiffel Tower shown in gold, both on the front and back cover [image 1].  The actual book acts as a time capsule and allows the reader a trip back into the social history of that time. It offers up a glimpse of the lives of the “every day folk” at the end of the nineteenth century and affords us a better understanding of their lives.

Image one - Eiffel Tower on front cover of  volume

The Exposition Universelle of 1889 was a world’s fair held in Paris from 6 May to 31 October 1889.  It attracted more than thirty-two million visitors. The most famous structure created especially for the Exposition, and the symbol of Paris today, is the Eiffel Tower.

The Exposition Universelle was specifically held to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the “Storming of the Bastille”, which was the start of the French Revolution. It was also hoped to act as a stimulus for the French economy which was in a recession.

As the theme of the Exposition was celebrating the overthrow of the French monarchy, nearly all European countries with monarchies officially boycotted the Exposition including Great Britain. However, many companies and individuals, from these boycotting nations, did attend, and a number of countries, again including Britain, had their participation entirely funded by private sponsors.

One such individual was Sir Henry Seymour King [image 2] who was Hull’s Member of Parliament for Kingston upon Central in 1889.  As well as being an MP, he came from a banking background. After leaving Oxford University, he joined the firm of Henry S. King and Company, a London bank founded by his father. Under Sir Henry’s leadership, the bank expanded into India. He had advanced ideas – his bank employed women as typists, as early as 1887, something which most other banks did not do until the First World War. It seemed that Sir Henry lived out of the area and was a resident of Kensington, London. He served two consecutive terms as Mayor of Kensington [1901-1903]. He was instrumental in providing a large interest free loan for the purchase of slum properties in North Kensington so that they could be rebuilt and refurbished.

Image 2 - Sir Henry Seymour King
[Election promotion card in C DIPC1]

Sir Henry Seymour King felt it would be of great benefit for local artisans and craftsmen of his own constituency in Hull to attend the Exposition Universelle to see first-hand what advancements and developments were happening in their particular field of expertise.  What a forward thinking individual he seemed to have been and he certainly “put his money where his mouth was”! With the help of the Mayor, Dr John Sherburn and others on the Town Council, thirty local men were given the opportunity of a lifetime – a week’s trip to Paris in order to see the Exhibition.

Seen through “today’s eyes”, it is hard to imagine what a major event this would have been for the chosen workmen.  The average wage of a carpenter was roughly 25 shillings a week – the idea of trip abroad was out of the reaches of the working classes – even a trip to London would not be considered by the majority of Hull’s working class population.

The chosen thirty came from a variety of trades and industries – including Shoemaker, Cabinet maker, Upholsterer, Cooper, Plumber, Stonemason, Saddler, Joiner, Jeweller and Printer.  As a “thank you” to their sponsor, Sir Henry Seymour King, and the Mayor of Hull, Dr Sherburn, some of the workmen wrote to thank them [image 3] and gave them very detailed written accounts of their experiences.  Their descriptions were turned into this souvenir volume.

Image 3 - John Blake's thank-you for Sir Henry Seymour King and Dr Sherburn

The workmen left from Hull Railway Station on Saturday, 10 August 1889 and they were accompanied by Mr. King’s private secretary, Mr. Trotman.  It seemed they were seen off with some “pomp and ceremony” by members of the Town Council including Councillor E. Robson. He made himself very popular with the party since [out of his own pocket] he gave them each a sovereign to “assist them in enjoying the holiday”.  The sovereign was a gold coin and was worth one pound. There was twenty shillings in a pound so you can appreciate that this would have been was a large sum of money to them.

The party travelled down to London and then onto Dover. After crossing the Channel by boat, they continued by train until they reached Paris. They stayed at the Hotel Longchamps during their trip. They returned by the same route arriving in London on the Sunday morning where they stayed overnight before returning to Hull on the Monday. One member of the party did note how “London looked very grimy after the clean city of Paris.”

They were fortunate to spend a few days sightseeing around Paris (including a trip up the Eiffel Tower) as well as a visit to Versailles before visiting the Exhibition on the Thursday and Friday. Each account of the trip offers such insight into the individuals on the trip but the majority did agree on or that:

-          Sundays in Paris were markedly different to Hull 

-          The remarkable cleanliness of the Parisian streets 

-          The French are so different to the English! 

The details contained in this volume are so fascinating and evocative that a separate blog will be posted next week highlighting their impressions.

As a footnote, Mr Seymour King could be described as a “fallen angel”, he retained his parliamentary seat until he was unseated on petition on 11 June 1911 – when Sir Henry was found guilty of a charge of bribery during the election in December 1910. His vacant seat being filled by Mark Sykes.

Caoimhe West, Reader Assistant, Unlocking the Treasure Project