The Great Exhibition of 1851 was unlike anything that had been seen before.

It was a triumphant
celebration of the most extraordinary achievements of the Victorian age, from industry, culture and
engineering – gathered from all four corners of the world. “Every conceivable invention!” as Queen
Victoria wrote in her private diary. The Exhibition was a symbol of national pride, at the height of the
British Empire and all it stood for. The Industrial Revolution had made Britain a world-leader in industry.
And by 1851, Britain was enjoying a semi-golden age of peace and prosperity. The Victorians wanted to
celebrate their industrial successes – and to promote them. So, a Great Exhibition was proposed that
would showcase the wonders of new technology.i t wasn’t a purely British affair. Other countries were
invited to show off their own innovations too – though nobody was in any doubt that Britain was clearly
playing the leading role. And it was masterminded by Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria. The
Great Exhibition was a magnificent spectacle, even from the outside. A gigantic glass building was
constructed in Hyde Park which could be seen for miles. Nicknamed the ‘Crystal Palace’, the temporary
structure housed over 100,000 exhibits, from steam-powered machines and giant engines to cutting-
edge scientific tools and clever technological innovations. Not forgetting beautiful cultural artifacts such
as silks, porcelain, tapestries, rare Chinese ivory, Cossack armour and malachite urns from Russia that
stood twice the height of a man! The displays of new inventions caused a real stir, a frankly bizarre
‘defensive umbrella’ that doubled as a weapon. Prince Albert made sure that there were very cheap day
tickets available too, so anybody could afford to go. And they did, often more than once. People
travelled for miles on their day off to marvel at the exhibits and feel part of the excitement. 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. 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.