The Life and Death of London's Crystal Palace (2021)
9 days ago
- #Historic Photography
- #Victorian Architecture
- #Great Exhibition
- Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace was an inspiring glass and iron structure, notable for its vastness and design.
- The Great Exhibition of 1851 showcased photography, with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as patrons, though an incident occurred when a photographer damaged a statue.
- Photographs were used in official reports of the Great Exhibition, but engravings from daguerreotypes were more commonly used in publications due to easier reproduction.
- After the Great Exhibition's success, the Crystal Palace was relocated to Sydenham Hill, where it was reopened by Queen Victoria in 1854.
- Photographer Philip Henry Delamotte documented the Palace's move and its new exhibits, with his works now part of the Historic England Archive.
- A fire in 1866 damaged parts of the Crystal Palace, leading to financial difficulties, but it remained a visitor attraction until 1915.
- Aerial photography of the Crystal Palace began as early as 1858, with Aerofilms Limited later capturing the site commercially.
- The Crystal Palace was destroyed by a massive fire in 1936, witnessed by thousands and extensively photographed.
- Post-fire, the site saw various proposed uses but remained largely undeveloped, with some elements like garden terraces still attracting photographers.
- The Historic England Archive holds a significant collection of photographs documenting the Crystal Palace's history from its construction to its demise.