Written By Alice Gibb
When Western Fair opened on Monday September 11, 1922, children from the Protestant Orphans Home were among the first visitors to rush through the gates – children were admitted free on the opening day.
Western Fair was such a popular drawing card that the railways operated special excursions. Fairgoers could watch the evening fireworks before boarding trains that would transport them back to Ingersoll, Stratford or Exeter. Not only did the railroads cater to fair visitors, but London theatres also presented special movies for out-of-town visitors. And at the Grand Theatre, the Dumbbells Revue, starring the popular Al Plunkett, played for the six nights of the fair.
Fairgoers could still view exhibits in the beautiful Crystal Palace and admire the new tractors and combines that were threatening to replace horses on the farm. Five years later, the Palace was lost in a spectacular fire, to be replaced by the prosaic Confederation Building.
The midway was operated by C.A. Wortham Shows, which had broken all records in attracting crowds at the CNE. New attractions at the 1922 midway included a butterfly ride, a new fun house and Noah’s Ark. There was also a diorama of World War I, showing exactly how the Germans had been checked on their march towards Paris, France.
Another attraction was Johan Anson, the Norwegian giant who stood almost nine feet tall. The London Free Press ran a front page photo of two London policemen, completely dwarfed by Anson. Grandstand attractions included the Hippodrome or one-ring circus, and the Autodome, where men and women would cheat death while riding motorcycles around the ring at 90 miles per hour. Today’s equivalent of the Autodome is the demolition derbies which still fill the grandstand every year. Visitors wanting something more soothing than speeding motorcycles could visit the Hawaiian Village where men and women sang and swayed to strumming ukuleles.
Hopefully the Swedish giant had a healthier visit to London than one of his predecessors at the fair. In 1911, Prince “Nicholi” of Russia, billed as the smallest man in the world at 27 inches, was the fair’s star attraction. Unfortunately, while waiting at the Grand Trunk station for the train that would carry him to his next appearance, tiny Prince Nicholi collapsed and died.
In addition to the livestock and machinery displays, the fair was a wonderful launching pad for new product lines. Sherlock-Manning Piano Factory, for example, exhibited the smallest piano ever produced in Canada at the 1922 fair. The Hydro Shop took out pages of advertising promoting its new appliances while car dealerships aggressively promoted their new models. One car which received a great deal of attention at the 1922 fair was the locally-produced London Six.
With all these sights, it’s hardly surprising that on Wednesday, September 13, organizers were delighted to report that the fair achieved the largest attendance in its 54-year history!
