The Smithfield Show, formerly the Smithfield Club Cattle Show and later the Royal Smithfield Show, was an annual British

agricultural show An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which selective breeding, bree ...

, organised by the Royal Smithfield Club. It was founded in 1799 and was first held at Wootton's Livery Stables in Dolphin Yard, Smithfield, London. From 1862 until 1938 it was held at the Agricultural Hall in

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

, London. From 1949 it was held at the Earl's Court Exhibition Centre in Earl's Court, London. The last show was held there in 2004; it was the last major livestock show in London.

History

The Smithfield Club Cattle Show was first held in December 1799, at Wootton's Livery Stables in Dolphin Yard, Smithfield, London. It was organised by the Smithfield Cattle and Sheep Society (later the Royal Smithfield Club), which had been founded at Smithfield in the previous year. By 1806 the show had moved to Sadler's Yard in Goswell Street, Islington. Sixty-one animals were shown. In 1839 it was moved to larger space, the

Baker Street Baker Street is a street in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London. It is named after builder James Baker. The area was originally high class residential, but now is mainly occupied by commercial premises. The street is ...

Horse Bazaar, where it lasted for four days and attracted some twenty or twenty-five thousand visitors. Attendance increased after members of the Royal Family began to attend. In 1862 the show moved to the new Agricultural Hall in

, London, which had been purpose-built for it by the Club. The 1862 show attracted almost 135,000 visitors, a record, and in later years there were regularly more than 100,000. During and immediately after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, from 1939 to 1948, the show was not held; the Royal Agricultural Hall was requisitioned for the GPO in 1943. Annual shows recommenced in 1949, at the Earl's Court Exhibition Centre in Earl's Court, London; the last show was held there in 2004. It was the last major livestock show in London. The

Museum of English Rural Life The Museum of English Rural Life, also known as The MERL, is a museum, library and archive dedicated to recording the changing face of farming and the countryside in England. The museum is run by the University of Reading, and is situated in Red ...

's Royal Smithfield Club collection of paintings and prints of farm livestock executed during the period from 1775 to about 1860 includes animals which had won prizes at the Smithfield Shows of 1834 and 1851.

The show

The Royal Smithfield Club was named after

Smithfield Market Smithfield, properly known as West Smithfield, is a district located in Central London, part of Farringdon Without, the most westerly Wards of the City of London, ward of the City of London, England. Smithfield is home to a number of City in ...

, the centre of meat distribution in London. The show was for fatstock, meat breeds of domestic

livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...

. Later,

agricultural machinery Agricultural machinery relates to the machine (mechanical), mechanical structures and devices used in farming or other agriculture. There are list of agricultural machinery, many types of such equipment, from hand tools and power tools to tractor ...

was also exhibited. Between 1876 and 1936 the Dairy Show, a similar show for

dairy A dairy is a place where milk is stored and where butter, cheese, and other dairy products are made, or a place where those products are sold. It may be a room, a building, or a larger establishment. In the United States, the word may also des ...

animals and equipment, was also held at the Agricultural Hall in Islington.

Closure

The Royal Smithfield Show was discontinued after the 2004 show, after farm machinery manufacturers and suppliers declined to take part, due to the high costs.

References

{{reflist, refs= History
Business Design Centre. Accessed December 2016. Hannah Velten (2013)
''Beastly London: A History of Animals in the City''
London: Reaktion Books. {{ISBN, 9781780232171. Nick Fone (28 February 2006)

''Farmer's Weekly''. Accessed December 2016. Peter J. Atkins, Peter Lummel, Derek J. Oddy (2016)
''Food and the City in Europe since 1800''
second edition. London; New York: Routledge. {{ISBN, 9780754649892. The History - 139 Years of Progress
RABDF Events. Archived 7 August 2016.
Royal Smithfield Club. Accessed December 2016 Charles Clover (2 March 2006)

''The Daily Telegraph''. Accessed December 2016 1799 establishments in England Agricultural shows in England Recurring events established in 1799 2004 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Annual events in London