origin of the Exhibition idea

   I want, in this post, to look at the origin of the 'exhibition' idea leading up to 1932.      

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   Before that, however, I need to note that the Gleaner archive at newspaperarchive.com is unavailable since yesterday, it seems; I am waiting for some information as to how long it will be before that archive is back on line. At present the site seems to be saying the unavailability may last for months!!  I will go on with my work using material I have already downloaded.

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   The idea of holding an exhibition of locally produced goods seems, in part at least, to have originated with an organisation called the Native Traders Protective Association which was founded in mid-1929; T. H. Beecher was described in November '29 as founder of the Association, though the President was Ivan G. Aarons. In November also it was reported - 'It is understood that the society intends to hold an exhibition towards the middle of January when exhibits from all over the Island will be on show.'

 

   Clearly no exhibition took place in January 1930, and the Native Traders Protective Association seems to have petered out in 1930. However, T. H. Beecher continued to work on the idea, but did not get an exhibition organised until 1932. There were other suggestions for an exhibition, especially an Inter-Colonial Exhibition, during these years, but only Beecher and his associates actually got the idea off the ground.

 

Note: the name of the Native Traders Protective Association points to an issue much debated at the time - the role of the Chinese, 'East Indians' and 'Syrians' in commercial life in Jamaica. There was much, often heated, writing in the press on the topic and on the need to protect 'native traders' against competition from 'alien traders'. This is a big topic and I will not be looking at it here; I will say however that T. H. Beecher does not seem to have expressed animosity to 'alien traders' in his campaign for a Jamaican Industrial Trade Exhibition. If I find more on this topic in my material I will mention it; at the moment, though, I am unable to do any further research in the online Gleaner archive!!