Tara Duveanu

Decorative Sunday

The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations was held in London’s Hyde Park from May 1 - October 15, 1851. Modeled after, and perhaps as a rival to, the successful Exposition des produits de l'industrie française in Paris, it was the first of a series of World’s Fairs that continue to the present day (called Expos today). Organized by members of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, including Prince Albert and Henry Cole, its purpose was to celebrate the achievements of modern industrial technology and design from around the world, and specifically to demonstrate Britain’s superiority in these fields.

To house the exhibition, the great iron and glass Crystal Palace was built, designed by the celebrated greenhouse designer Joseph Paxton. It was a massive 1848 feet long by 454 feet wide and 128 feet tall, and was dotted with full-grown trees which added a touch of decorative greenery but also emphasized industry’s triumph over nature.

Among the catalogs documenting the exhibition was The Art Journal Illustrated Catalogue: The Industry of All Nations, 1851, shown here, featuring many hundreds of wood engravings of the venue and the decorative artifacts on display. The catalog was printed by Bradbury and Evans for George Virtue’s London periodical The Art Journal. The Journal’s editor and former owner Samuel Carter Hall personally engraved 150 illustrations of items from the private collection of the Queen and Prince Albert for this volume.