The Crystal Palace

The Great Exhibition of 1851 was to symbolise the industrial, military and economic superiority of Great Britain. Conceived by Albert, the Prince Consort, amid considerable initial opposition, the exhibition would be staged in Hyde Park and required a grandiose building to act as a showcase for displaying the country's and empire's achievements. A competition was organised for the design of an imaginative structure for this purpose, and some 233 architects submitted their ideas. However, none of these were used and eventually an alternative design, at a very competitive price, was accepted from Joseph Paxton who managed to have a complete set of drawings ready in just 10 days.

The 'Crystal Palace' was constructed on a vast ironwork frame, covering an area six times greater than that occupied by St Paul's Cathedral, and was finished with some 1,000,000ft (303,030m) of glass. This gigantic 'palace' stood in the magnificent setting of a park containing spectacular fountains, an outstanding collection of statues, geological displays and features, and with amazing firework extravaganzas performed by courtesy of Brock.

With over 13,000 exhibits from around the world demonstrating wealth, skill and enterprise, the six million visitors that passed through the wonderful 'Crystal Palace' were treated to the most unique and extremely successful exhibition of all time. As the huge numbers of visitors marvelled at the innovations brought about by the industrial revolution that was fast moving Britain forward as the greatest power on earth, Prince Albert was enjoying his own personal triumph. At the time the 'Art Journal' gave a flavour of the exhibition when it wrote -

"On entering the building for the first time, the eye is completely dazzled by the rich variety of hues which burst upon it on every side; .... and the harmonious beauty of effect produced by the artistical arrangement of the flowing and varied hues which blaze along its grand and simple lines .... Forming the centre of the entire building rises the gigantic fountain, the culminating point of view from every quarter of the building; whilst at the northern end the eye is relieved by the verdure of tropical plants and the lofty and overshadowing branches of forest trees .... the objects which first attract the eye are the sculptures .... some of them of colossal size and unrivalled beauty ...."

When the Great Exhibition was over, this tremendous construction was moved from Hyde Park and re-erected at Sydenham Hill, known ever since as The Crystal Palace, to be re-opened by Queen Victoria in June 1854. In 1911 it became home to the Festival of the Empire, with scaled models of parliament buildings from all the empire and commonwealth countries displaying their country's products. During the 1930s, The Crystal Palace was closely linked with the development of television, as John Logie Baird had established his own company and transmitter in the south tower.

The glorious days of the world famous glass palace came to an abrupt and sad demise on 30 November 1936 when it was destroyed by fire. Few reminders of this extraordinary building now exist(but a similar contemporary structure can be seen at Kew Gardens), although the grounds are Grade II listed as an historic park and do retain much of their former layout. Originally, great stone Sphinx guarded the steps leading to the balustraded terraces which, in turn, were supported by ornamental columns and arches. Now only fragments of these features survive, together with a couple of statues, and it is difficult to imagine the splendour the scene would have presented in Victorian times.