The Great Exhibition "Wot is to Be", Probable Results of The Industry of All Nations in The Year '51, Showing What is to be Exhibited, Who is To Exhibit, in Short How Its All Going to Be Done 1850

George Augustus Sala sketched "The Great Exhibition 'Wot is to Be'" in anticipation of the 1851 spectacle. In it, symbolic representations of Scottish culture parade across the page. Note the prominence of food and drink: haggis, cock-a-leekie soup, whiskey, and Dundee marmalade. These culinary emblems speak not just to appetite but to cultural identity. Similarly, the kilt and bagpipes act as symbols of Scottish national pride. These symbols reflect a desire to capture the essence of a nation, a phenomenon that recurs throughout history. Consider the Dutch Masters and their still-life paintings laden with symbolic objects representing wealth, piety, or earthly pleasures. The need to define and celebrate identity through material culture persists, echoing across centuries. We continue to imbue objects with meaning, transforming the mundane into potent symbols of who we are.