July 26 to August 7 1909.
The National Pageant of Wales in 1909 was intended to inspire the Welsh people to achieve great things.
Held in Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, the roles of ancient Welsh heroes and heroines were acted out by local dignitaries dressed in sumptuous costumes. Reportedly over 5,000 local people took part. These included groups of school children who took the part of fairies, servants and supporters, and teams of rugby players who acted as marauding armies.
A team of ladies, overseen by Mrs T Snead Davies created many of the elaborate costumes and others were purchased from other pageant organisations from around the UK. Mrs Perkins was Mistress of the Wardrobe.
Held over two weeks, the first week's performances were in the afternoons, whilst the second week saw hundreds of electric lights illuminating evening events.
The Marchioness of Bute led the performance on 26 July as "Dame Wales," in a dress encrusted with a large red dragon. Her understudy Miss Moya Finucane carried out the remainder of the performances as the Marchioness was required to visit the Wagner Festival at Bayreuth. This costume returned to the city in 2009. It was displayed at Cardiff Castle in honour of the 100 year anniversary of the pageant. It has since been returned to the Bute family in Scotland.
90,000 children were brought over a period of three days to watch the dress rehearsals; 20,000 from Cardiff-east of the Taff; 40,000 mostly from outside Cardiff; and 30,000 from as far afield as Herefordshire, Caernarvonshire, Breconshire, Monmouthshire, Carmarthenshire and West Glamorgan.
Many thousands of picture postcards, stamps, leaflets, and programmes were sold.
Although the pageant attracted newpaper coverage and hundreds of visitors, it was not the success it had been hoped. It was never the intention to make a profit, but it failed to break even, despite the railways and bus companies selling combined travel and entrance tickets.
Various reasons were suggested for its lack of impact and overspend:
1. A failure to take advantage of possible advertising opportunities. Very little mention was made at the Eisteddfodd in London only a few weeks earlier.
2. The cost of costumes and the spectator stands.
3. The cost of the 3,000 incandescent electric lamps used during the evening performances, alongside 14 electric flare lamps to illuminate the stage and 5 searchlights of 10,000 candle power to sweep the grounds.
4. The low cost of tickets compared to other pageants around that time.
5. The failure of the population of Wales outside Cardiff and its surrounds, to engage with the pageant.
Many of the dignitaries taking part were very aware of the influence the English Government and English industrialists could have on both their current success, and their future progress in the world. For this reason, they could possibly have down-played their parts, having no wish to antagonise the mouths that fed them.
The National Pageant of Wales by Hywel Teifi Edwards published in 2009 by Gomer Press.
Cardiff Castle Events Programme 2009, www.cardiffcastle.com
Sophia Gardens today is well known for its cricket ground, it also has a large park with mature trees and seasonal flower beds.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_Gardens
http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/ground/56874.html
The National Pageant of Wales in 1909 was intended to inspire the Welsh people to achieve great things.
Held in Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, the roles of ancient Welsh heroes and heroines were acted out by local dignitaries dressed in sumptuous costumes. Reportedly over 5,000 local people took part. These included groups of school children who took the part of fairies, servants and supporters, and teams of rugby players who acted as marauding armies.
A team of ladies, overseen by Mrs T Snead Davies created many of the elaborate costumes and others were purchased from other pageant organisations from around the UK. Mrs Perkins was Mistress of the Wardrobe.
Held over two weeks, the first week's performances were in the afternoons, whilst the second week saw hundreds of electric lights illuminating evening events.
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| Marchioness of Bute as "Dame Wales" |
90,000 children were brought over a period of three days to watch the dress rehearsals; 20,000 from Cardiff-east of the Taff; 40,000 mostly from outside Cardiff; and 30,000 from as far afield as Herefordshire, Caernarvonshire, Breconshire, Monmouthshire, Carmarthenshire and West Glamorgan.
Many thousands of picture postcards, stamps, leaflets, and programmes were sold.
Although the pageant attracted newpaper coverage and hundreds of visitors, it was not the success it had been hoped. It was never the intention to make a profit, but it failed to break even, despite the railways and bus companies selling combined travel and entrance tickets.
Various reasons were suggested for its lack of impact and overspend:
1. A failure to take advantage of possible advertising opportunities. Very little mention was made at the Eisteddfodd in London only a few weeks earlier.
2. The cost of costumes and the spectator stands.
3. The cost of the 3,000 incandescent electric lamps used during the evening performances, alongside 14 electric flare lamps to illuminate the stage and 5 searchlights of 10,000 candle power to sweep the grounds.
4. The low cost of tickets compared to other pageants around that time.
5. The failure of the population of Wales outside Cardiff and its surrounds, to engage with the pageant.
Many of the dignitaries taking part were very aware of the influence the English Government and English industrialists could have on both their current success, and their future progress in the world. For this reason, they could possibly have down-played their parts, having no wish to antagonise the mouths that fed them.
The National Pageant of Wales by Hywel Teifi Edwards published in 2009 by Gomer Press.
Cardiff Castle Events Programme 2009, www.cardiffcastle.com
Sophia Gardens today is well known for its cricket ground, it also has a large park with mature trees and seasonal flower beds.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_Gardens
http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/ground/56874.html
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