Tibbits was the founder of the London Massage and Galvanic Hospital, and the Vril-Ya Bazaar was one of a number of events he had produced as fundraisers for the hospital. For each, Tibbits recruited wealthy and socially prominent individuals as a host committee for the event.For the 1891 event, Tibbits chose as the theme the world created by Bulwer-Lytton in
The Coming Race. The novel features a subterranean race of winged superhuman beings, the "Vril-ya", with
telepathic and other
parapsychological abilities who wield vast power derived from "Vril", a mysterious form of energy that the Vril-ya are able to control through their miraculous skills. In the years following its publication, the novel had achieved widespread popularity, and some occultists claimed that Bulwer-Lytton had based his novel on an actual secret race that had mastered a limitless energy source. Tibbits' fundraising event sought to exploit the popularity of the novel. Bulwer-Lytton had described the architecture of the underground Vril-ya city as resembling the architecture of ancient
Egypt,
Sumeria, and
India, and Tibbits had the Royal Albert Hall decorated with Egyptian artistic motifs, including a grand Pillar of Vril-ya, modeled on
Cleopatra's Needle. Suspended, and sometimes moving as if flying, above the crowd were
mannequins costumed as the winged Vril-ya. Entertainments were presented that sought to evoke the mystical powers of the Vril-ya, with magic shows and a fortune-telling dog. Booths offered various products and handcrafts for sale, including
Bovril, a meat extract that had been named, in part, for Vril power in
The Coming Race. The event featured a young woman depicting Princess Zee, the heroine of the novel, who wore a black satin dress and tiara that featured electric lights. Words from Bulwer-Lytton's invented Vril language were used to describe features of the event, and attendees were provided with a brochure that included a Vril glossary to help them decipher the language. Guests were encouraged
to wear costumes, and event organizers directed them to the firm John Simmons and Sons, historical costumiers to
Queen Victoria, to view an array of
Coming Race costumes, many sporting wings. The volunteer committee members wore various exotic costumes from a range of cultures and eras. The youngest child of Queen Victoria,
Princess Beatrice and her husband
Prince Henry of Battenberg attended on the first day to officially open the event. The host committee that Tibbits recruited to help organize the event and staff the stalls included the Marchioness Dowager of Londonderry, the Countess of Cromarty and Lady Georgiana Spencer Churchill. ==Reception==