The Great Exhibition of 1851 in Hyde Park (2024)

The legacy of the Great Exhibition

In 1854, the much-loved ‘Crystal Palace’ of the people was transported, pane by pane to the area in South London that still bears its name. And there it remained until 1936, when it was tragically destroyed by fire. A crowd of 100,000 gathered as the fires raged, including Winston Churchill who remarked: ‘This is the end of an age’. And by that time, after the First World War and on the brink of the Second, Britain’s vast Empire was indeed on the wane.

You can still see the footprint of the original building in Hyde Park, marked out by South Carriage Drive. And you can also take a 'virtual tour' of the original Crystal Palace as well.

The Great Exhibition was a runaway success both with the public, and financially. And its legacy lives on. Prince Albert insisted that part of the profits was used to establish some of London’s best-loved museums – the Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Natural History Museum. This area of London, with its concentration of riches, became known as ‘Albertopolis’. It’s a permanent reminder of some of the most extraordinary industrial, scientific, cultural artifacts and innovations in the world.

A celebration of human invention and ingenuity.

The Great Exhibition of 1851 in Hyde Park (2024)

FAQs

The Great Exhibition of 1851 in Hyde Park? ›

The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace

the Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace, designed by Joseph Paxton, was a remarkable construction of prefabricated parts. It was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park to house the Great Exhibition of 1851.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Crystal_Palace,_London
Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October 1851.

What was the Great Exhibition of 1851 and why was it important? ›

The 1851 exhibition was the first ever international exhibition of manufactured products. It inspired a long succession of international fairs in other cities, including Paris, Dublin, New York, Vienna and Chicago – almost one a year for the rest of the 19th century.

How was the Great Exhibition destroyed? ›

The Victorian masterpiece was burned to the ground on November 29th, 1936. The original Crystal Palace was the centrepiece of the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London.

What happened to Prince Albert's Crystal Palace? ›

After the exhibition, the Palace was relocated to an open area of South London known as Penge Place which had been excised from Penge Common. It was rebuilt at the top of Penge Peak next to Sydenham Hill, an affluent suburb of large villas. It stood there from June 1854 until its destruction by fire in November 1936.

Did Queen Victoria attend the Great Exhibition? ›

Six million people visited the exhibition to see over 100,000 exhibits from around the world, divided broadly into raw materials, machinery, manufactures and the fine arts; Queen Victoria herself visited no fewer than thirty-four times.

Does the Crystal Palace still exist? ›

The Palace was destroyed by fire on 30 November 1936 and the site of the building and its grounds is now known as Crystal Palace Park.

Is the Great Exhibition still standing? ›

Crystal Palace, giant glass-and-iron exhibition hall in Hyde Park, London, that housed the Great Exhibition of 1851. The structure was taken down and rebuilt (1852–54) at Sydenham Hill (now in the borough of Bromley), at which site it survived until 1936.

What was Prince Albert's illness? ›

He died from typhoid fever on 14 December 1861 at Windsor Castle with Queen Victoria and five of his children at his bedside. His body was placed temporarily in the Royal Vault, St George's Chapel and on 18 December 1862 he was buried in the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore.

Why was the Crystal Palace moved from Hyde Park? ›

The building had become so popular that Paxton was, naturally enough, loath to see the end of his masterpiece and wanted to turn it into a 'Winter Park and Garden under Glass'. He secured a reprieve from Parliament to leave the building where it was until May 1852, when a decision on its future would have to be made.

Why did they destroy the Crystal Palace? ›

There were rumours of arson at the time, but this appears unlikely. It was probably an electrical fault or cigarette end in the office area of the building. The palace – which was erected at Hyde Park in 1851 before being moved to Sydenham Hill, south London – had been patched up extensively down the years with wood.

What started the Crystal Palace fire? ›

The cause was never truly established and stories of arson abounded but because of the size of the building and the huge amounts of flammable material it contained, the cause was probably just a terrible accident.

Who was Queen Victoria's husband? ›

Did Queen Victoria ever visit America? ›

No, Queen Victoria did not visit America. She did not travel abroad during her long reign. She did not travel outside of Europe and her most frequent trips were made to Germany where her husband was born.

What was the purpose of the exhibition? ›

An exhibition definition is a public display of goods and services. Events and exhibitions can be an effective means of spreading brand awareness. They allow you to reach out to a group of people who may have never heard of you before.

What was the Great Exhibition of 1851 colonialism? ›

These exhibits produced a contrast between the British industrial self and the othered imperial colonies. The selective choosing of exhibits in the Great Exhibition structured this difference between British industrial might and perceived “backwards” systems of production in places such as India and the Caribbean.

What inventions were invented in the Great Exhibition of 1851? ›

Samuel Colt demonstrated several of his revolvers, Frederick Bakewell showed off an early fax machine, and one George Merryweather debuted his "Tempest Prognosticator," a barometer that used leeches kept in bottles of rainwater.

Why did Prince Albert commission the Great Exhibition of 1851? ›

Indeed, during a speech in March 1850 he said that '… The exhibition of 1851 is to give us a true test and a living picture of the point of development at which the whole of mankind has arrived in this great task, and a new starting point from which all nations will be able to direct their further exertions…'.

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