Souvenir cup

This glass cup was sold as a souvenir at the New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition in Dunedin, 1925-26.

Souvenirs provided visitors with mementoes to take home. International exhibitions were a highlight in people's lives, and many would go more than once. Some souvenirs were made for practical use such as tableware, and were inscribed with the buyer's name, the date they went to the exhibition, or were inscribed as gifts for family members and friends. This cup is inscribed to 'Joyce'.

The Dunedin Exhibition in 1925-26 was promoted by the Otago Expansion League in response to the population and economic drift north. The exhibition aimed to show the British Empire’s size and strength, the progress achieved by New Zealand’s European ‘pioneers’, New Zealand-made goods, and the role of the New Zealand government (15 departments were showcased).

The exhibition was huge and attracted over 3.2 million visitors, more than double New Zealand’s total population at the time and was the most popular exhibition in New Zealand history. It was laid out in grand style over 16 acres with seven pavilions linked by covered walkways around a grand court of reflecting pools leading to the domed Festival Hall. There was an art gallery, a fernery (with a waterfall and streams), and an amusement area with seven major rides including a scenic railroad and a ‘fun factory’. There was also an education court, a women’s court, and a motor pavilion.