Firework Displays
After a trip to London to visit the Great Exhibition of 1851, Jennison's ideas for Belle Vue became more ambitious. He decided to implement large, scheduled "fantastic" firework displays employing a scenic artist, George Danson, to design and create a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) canvas backdrop. The displays took place on an island in the middle of the Firework Lake, which also housed a small natural history museum. In keeping with Jennison's desire for self-sufficiency, the fireworks were made on-site at Belle Vue.
The first display took place on 2 May 1852, designed by "Signor Pietro". The theme for the early displays was "battle enactment", which proved to be popular with the paying public and resulted in Belle Vue becoming an all-day entertainment venue. The firework displays incorporated real people and real weapons, some of which, 1866-vintage Snyder rifles, were issued to members of the local Home Guard during the Second World War. The first display, a re-enactment of the Bombardment of Algiers involving 25 men, 300 rockets, 25 "large shells", and 50 Roman candles, was watched by 18,000 spectators.
The displays continued throughout the First World War, except that the use of rockets was prohibited under the Defence of the Realm Act. Reflecting contemporary events, the theme for the 1915 display was "The Battle of the Marne"; in 1916 it was "The War in Flanders", during which one spectator got so caught up in the action that he waded across the lake to join in with the "fighting". Anticipating the outbreak of the Second World War, the theme for the 1933 display was "Air Raid on London".
The last grand firework display took place in 1956, on the theme of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men.
Read more about this topic: Belle Vue Zoological Gardens
Famous quotes containing the word displays:
“The emancipation of today displays itself mainly in cigarettes and shorts. There is even a reaction from the ideal of an intellectual and emancipated womanhood, for which the pioneers toiled and suffered, to be seen in painted lips and nails, and the return of trailing skirts and other absurdities of dress which betoken the slave-woman’s intelligent companionship.”
—Sylvia Pankhurst (1882–1960)