Empire Retold: other voices from the British Empire Exhibition
17 July – 9 August 2025
Garnethill Gallery

The Empire Exhibition of 1938 was a major international exposition held in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow. Its purpose was to showcase the achievements of the British Empire, promote trade, and strengthen imperial bonds. It attracted around 13 million visitors during its six-month duration, yet today there is so little evidence remaining that most people are unaware of its existence, even if they regularly visit Bellahouston. Whilst overshadowed by the Second World War, the Empire Exhibition remains a significant historical event and continues to be relevant to the study of British social, cultural, economic, industrial, and political history. However, there is now a crucial need to reassess narratives of the Empire Exhibition from a postcolonial perspective.

This exhibition highlights the voices of people who were not widely represented in the official histories and legacy of the event, alongside contemporary Glaswegians, reflecting on their own connections to Glasgow, colonialism, anti-racism, and identity.

Empire Retold: other voices from the British Empire Exhibition aims to encourage links between traditional historical perspectives and contemporary understandings of the Exhibition and its legacies. The exhibition is accompanied by a mobile app “Empire Retold” which allows both critical and playful re-readings of history, on site in Bellahouston Park.