THE GREAT EXHIBITION London 1851

Poster

The beginning The success of the French Industrial Exposition gave the British the idea of a similar exhibition in London, which would be advantageous for British industry, but the Government showed no interest. In 1851, Great Britain was the leader of the industrial revolution. The Great Exhibition was conceived to symbolize its industrial, military and economic superiority. Only representing the feats of Britain would have excluded many of its technological achievements in its colonies, so it was decided to extend the exhibition to almost all of the colonized world. The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 was established in 1850 by Her Majesty Queen Victoria to organize the Great Exhibition. Prince Albert, took personal charge of the whole complex operation.

The objectives Political, economic and social: Assure worldwide peace thanks to free trade Exhibit the power of the British industry, empire, and social order Educate the British population to the reign of machinery

The setting up A special building,The Crystal Palace, which was held in Hyde Park, was built to house the show. It was designed by Joseph Paxton, and went from its organization to the grand opening in just nine months. It took the form of a massive glass house, 1851 feet (about 564 metres) long by 454 feet (about 138 metres) wide and was constructed from cast iron-frame components and glass. From the interior, the building's large size was emphasized with trees and statues. The building was later moved and re-erected in an enlarged form at Sydenham in south London, but was later destroyed by fire.

The Crystal Palace (general view)

The exhibition The building was divided into a series of courts depicting the history of art and architecture and also exhibits from industry and the natural world. Concerts were held in the Palace's huge arched Centre Transept. The Centre Transept also housed a circus and was the scene of daring feats by world famous acts. National exhibitions were also staged within its walls. The park contained a large series of fountains, comprising almost 12,000 individual jets, as well as collections of statues, and a geological display. A whole mini-village grew around the site to cater for the numerous number of visitors.

The interior of the Crystal Palace The fountain was made of four tons of pink glass, 27 feet high,  and provided a meeting place, as well as cooling the atmosphere. There was a police desk for lost children and umbrellas. No alcohol was sold, but there were various areas where light refreshments were available. F For the first time ever, ‘waiting rooms and conveniences’ were provided, where you could have a private cubicle.

Inside view of the Crystal Palace

The success There were approximately 13,000 exhibits from all around . The objects on display came from all parts of the world, including the countries with recent white settlements, that constituted the new empire. Many of the visitors who flocked to London came from European cities. Six million people visited the Great Exhibition. The event made a surplus of £186,000 (£16,190,000 as of 2012) which allowed for the foundation of public works.