Great Exhibition

The Great Exhibition was an international exhibition held in Hyde Park London, from 1 May to 15 October 1851 and the first in a series of World's Fair exhibitions of culture and industry that were to be a popular 19th century feature.

Related Topics:
Exhibition - Hyde Park - London - 1 May - 15 October - 1851 - World's Fair - Culture - Industry - 19th century

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The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations was organised by Prince Albert and Henry Cole as a celebration of modern industrial technology and design. It can be argued that the Great Exhibition was mounted in response to the highly successful French exhibition of 1844, the French Industrial Exposition of 1844. Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort, was an enthusiastic promoter of a self-financing exhibition; the government was persuaded to form the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 to establish the viability of hosting such an exhibition.

Related Topics:
Prince Albert - Henry Cole - Modern - Industrial - Technology - Design - French - 1844 - French Industrial Exposition of 1844 - Victoria - Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851

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A special building, nicknamed The Crystal Palace, was designed by Joseph Paxton (with support from civil engineer William Henry Barlow) to house the show; an architecturally adventurous building based on Paxton's experience designing greenhouses for the sixth Duke of Devonshire, constructed from cast iron-frame components and glass made almost exclusively in Birmingham and Smethwick, which was an enormous success. The committee overseeing its construction included Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The massive glass house was 1848 feet (about 563 m) long by 454 feet (about 138 m) wide, and went from plans to grand opening in just nine months. The building was later moved and reerected in an enlarged form at Sydenham in south London, an area that was renamed Crystal Palace.

Related Topics:
The Crystal Palace - Joseph Paxton - Civil engineer - William Henry Barlow - Architecturally - Greenhouse - Sixth Duke of Devonshire - Cast iron - Glass - Birmingham - Smethwick - Isambard Kingdom Brunel - Sydenham - Crystal Palace

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The Great Exhibition made a surplus of £186,000 which was used to found the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum which were all built in the area to the south of the exhibition, nicknamed "Albertopolis", alongside the Imperial Institute.

Related Topics:
Victoria and Albert Museum - Science Museum - Natural History Museum - Albertopolis - Imperial Institute

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The exhibition caused controversy at the time. Some conservatives feared that the mass of visitors might become a revolutionary mob, while radicals such as Karl Marx saw the exhibition as an emblem of the capitalist fetishism of commodities. Today the 'Great Exhibition' has become a symbol of the Victorian Age, and its thick catalogue illustrated with steel engravings is a primarcy source for High Victorian design.

Related Topics:
Karl Marx - Emblem - Capitalist - Fetishism - Commodities - Symbol - Victorian Age

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Alfred Charles Hobbs used the exhibition to demonstrate the inadequacy of several respected locks of the day.

Related Topics:
Alfred Charles Hobbs - Lock

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The America's Cup yachting event began with a race held in conjunction with the Great Exhibition.

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