The Earl’s Court exhibition grounds have a rich history that began in 1887 when businessman John Robinson Whitley leased spare land owned by the District Railway west of Earl’s Court station. Whitley’s goal was to bring “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s Wild West show to London, and the site proved to be the perfect location. The grounds featured a large arena capable of holding 25,000 people and an exhibition hall measuring 1100 feet long. The site was first used for the American Exhibition and Wild West Show, which ran from 9 May to 31 October 1887.
Following this initial success, Whitley sought to provide major events each year, though none quite reached the heights of Buffalo Bill’s show. The exhibition company was renamed The National Exhibitions Association Ltd, and a longer lease was agreed upon. The grounds hosted various exhibitions over the years, including an Italian Exhibition in 1888, a Spanish Exhibition in 1889 and an Oriental Exhibition in 1895.
In 1895, Hungarian impresario Imre Kiralfy took over the lease of the Earl’s Court lands and made significant changes. He erected the Empress Hall, a vast steel and concrete structure designed by Allan Collard, which later became known as the Empress Theatre. Kiralfy also arranged for the installation of a giant Ferris wheel.
The Earl’s Court wheel, constructed by the Gigantic Wheel and Recreation Towers Co., Limited, was an engineering marvel. It stood 300 feet tall with a diameter of 284 feet, surpassing the size of its Chicago counterpart. The wheel featured 40 carriages, each capable of holding 30 passengers, offering a total capacity of 1200 people. The carriages were luxuriously furnished. The wheel, opened to the public in July 1895, provided visitors with stunning views of the surrounding area and became a major attraction at the exhibition grounds.
It was illuminated at night, creating a spectacular sight with its electric lights on the carriages and periphery.
Despite its initial success and profitability, the wheel’s fortunes were closely tied to the success of the exhibitions themselves. In 1906, the company could not secure a lease extension, and the decision was made to close the attraction and demolish the wheel. The wheel took approximately four months to dismantle.
After some dormant years, the land was then used by the Earls Court Exhibition Centre between its construction in 1935 until its demolition in 2017.
