Expo... 1897?

The cover of an original 1897 Montreal Exposition booklet.

It seems that Expo 67 was not Montreal's first grand exhibition. According to an article from the April 27, 1967 issue of the Montreal Gazette, there was a "Montreal Exposition" in 1897.

Here are a few facts on the forgotten fair:

While Expo 67 celebrated 100 years of Canadian Confederation, the 1897 Exposition celebrated "The Diamond Jubilee"...

The fair was held on Mount Royal avenue, which the original 1897 booklet described as "the northern part of the city"(!)

Instead of riding the Minirail, the Expo Express or the Metro, guests were invited to "ascend the mountain by means of the Park Incline Railway".

Visitors of the 1897 Expo were promised new marvels such as "the Wonderful Electric Device or Horseless Carriages". The site was also "brilliantly illuminated by colored electric light", a curiosity in 1897...

image: personal collection