Pdf representations of gender, class and empire in victorian. The great exhibition and the german states, john r. This collection of essays discusses the significance of colonial and foreign participation at the great exhibition in 1851, including the exhibits, publications, officials, and visitors, before. Over the next 190 years britain would establish itself as the leading nation in the world the centre of burgeoning empire, at the forefront of the. A colonial exhibition was a type of international exhibition that was held to boost trade. The great exhibition of the works of industry of all nations was held in 1851 in a vast temporary iron and glass structure more than 550. To call the crystal palace or the great exhibition of 1851 the elephant in the room of victorian studies would not be quite right, since the building and the event have not exactly become unmentionable, but have gone on being talked about, in chapters or essays by scholars in several fields. Hoffenberg britain, the empire, and the world at the great exhibition of 1851, ed. The indian exhibits at the great exhibition brought home the material reality of britain s overseas sovereignty, and in doing so, the crystal palace can be understood to have forged crucial links between peripheral activities and metropolitan culture ibid. Paris already had a long history of national expos stretching all.
Although the original aim of the world fair had been as a celebration of art in industry for the benefit of all nations, in practice it appears to have been turned into more of a showcase for british manufacturing. Victoria acknowledged her husbands status as coruler by having his desk moved next to hers. Jul 23, 2019 the great exhibition of 1851 was held in london inside an enormous structure of iron and glass known as the crystal palace. After the exhibition, the building was rebuilt in an enlarged form on penge common next to sydenham hill, an affluent south london suburb full of large villas. The structure was taken down and rebuilt 185254 at sydenham hill now in the borough of bromley, at which site it survived until 1936. Addressing national, imperial, and international themes, this collection of essays considers the significance of the exhibition both for its british hosts and their relationships to the wider. Sentiments of belief were, indeed, widely expressed in relation to the exhibitions representation of aesthetic and industrial treasures, which were organized for contemplation and awe and for the documentation of ethnic otherness depicted for the purposes of. The great exhibition of 1851 was a highpoint of victorian britain and its sense of empire. Britain, the empire and the world at the great exhibition. Of course, as you would expect, britain had the largest amount of space, taking up over half of the exhibition area. It was the first in a series of world s fairs, exhibitions of culture and industry that became.
But they had seen nothing to compare with queen victorias arrival in hyde park to open the great exhibition on may day, 1851. Thus the first worlds fair was held in london from may 1 to october 15, 1851 at the crystal palace. One third of all british goods exported to british empire. The great exhibition, the first ever international exhibition of its kind, was a magnificent display of manufactured products from steam engines to myriad exotic goods from britain and its empire and beyond. In five months, from may to october 1851, six million visitors thronged the gigantic trade show, marveling over the latest technology as well as displays of artifacts from around the world. During the 1880s and beyond, colonial exhibitions had the additional aim of bolstering popular support for the. A nation on display yale university press, 1999 articles. On the 1st of may in 1851, the opening of the great exhibition marked the beginning of the creation of a corporal british identity which was drafted through dissociation from other foreign stereotypes. In the early 19th century, the industrial revolution began to transform britain. The british empire expanded to include most of india, large parts of africa and many other territories throughout the world. Jeffrey auerbachs chapter 5 explores other british fantasies of empire as exhibited at the crystal palace in the 1851 great exhibition to the 1911 festival of empire. If you took an omnibus along londons knightsbridge in the summer of 1851, you would see an astonishing sight. It was one of those queens days, another paper thought, as though even the heavens themselves moved to suit the greatest empire in the world.
Greece at the great exhibition and the crystal palace. On 1 may 1851, the newly erected crystal palace flung open its doors for the very first time, revealing its casket of wonders to the 25,000 people that had gathered outside the doors. Britain, the empire, and the world at the great exhibition of. Birth of frontierswoman calamity jane martha jane canary in princeton, missouri. The great exhibition of the works of industry of all nations or the great exhibition sometimes referred to as the crystal palace exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, an international exhibition, took place in hyde park, london, from 1 may to 15 october 1851. A british empire exhibition had first been proposed in 1902, by the british empire league, and again in 19. The great exhibition of 1851 in the crystal palace at hyde park was arguably the pinnacle of showing off victorian britain in all its might, power, status, splendour and beauty all in the luxury and elegance as befitted the worlds greatest empire and power at the height of the british empire. Britain, the empire, and the world at the great exhibition of 1851, ed. How the great exhibition of 1851 shaped a nation london.
D avis, the great exhibition and the german states. Prince albert 18191861, the president of the royal society of arts and the husband of the british queen victoria, was the mastermind behind the great exhibition. Britain, the empire, and the world at the great exhibition of 1851 edited by auerbachjeffrey a. Queen victoria opens the great exhibition at crystal palace in hyde park. The great exhibition of 1851 in london was a large, highly significant affair that brought the innovations and industries of the world together under one roof. The event proved to be the most successful ever staged and became one of the defining points of the nineteenth century.
Pdf a brief history of britain 1851 2010 download full. Britain, the empire, and the world at the great exhibition of 1851. It presents a comprehensive array of carefully selected primary documents, sourced from the period before, during and after the exhibition in hyde park in 1851. Collection of essays that situate the crystal palace exhibition of 1851 in a truly global contextjacket. From the great exhibition to the credit crunch the transformation of britain from the world s greatest nation to the present day in 1851 queen victoria opened the great exhibition in hyde park, it was the high water mark of english achievement the nation at the forefront of the industrial revolution, at the heart of a burgeoning empire. From the great exhibition to the festival of britain, 1851 1951. This book recaptures the world of earlytomid victorian society beautifully, with the great exhibition as a kind of turning point at which the average briton began to take an interest in the wider world and to see their country as the centre of an expanding empire. Addressing national, imperial, and international themes, this collection of essays considers the significance of the exhibition both for its british hosts and their relationships to. Thomas cook, tourism giant that rose with britains empire. The history of the world records no event comparable, in its promotion of human industry, with that of the great exhibition. It came about through the efforts of queen victoria s husband, prince albertwho, because of his continental background, had. It came about through the efforts of queen victorias husband, prince albertwho, because of his continental background, had. The british empire exhibition, 192425 the event which probably had the most important effect on wembleys history was the british empire exhibition of 192425.
The crystal palace is situated at the top of a globe, indicating britains place in the world, with many people of all nations crowding towards it. A celebration of british primarily industrial and artistic achievement drawing on the resources of the empire although it did involve foreign exhibitors as well. How great britain was born from the restoration to the great exhibition. And this was not only to project the british, the majesty of great britain, across the world. In 1660 england emerged from the devastations of the civil wars and restored the king, charles ii, to the throne. T he organisers of the indian displays at londons great exhibition of 1851 had a problem.
The russojapanese war had prevented the first plan from being developed and world war i put an end to the second, though there had been a festival of empire in 1911, held in part at crystal palace. The great exhibition was a tremendous success, with over six million people travelling from all over great britain and the rest of the world to see the wonderful collection of items, paying an admission fee of. What was the purpose of the great exhibition of 1851. An invaluable compendium of sources relating to the great exhibitionthe great exhibition, 1851. In may 1851, hyde park hosted the great exhibition of the works of industry of all nations, now remembered as the great exhibition. The first, in victoria, australia, in 1866 was the progeny of 25 years of similar exhibitions, also held in melbourne, in which other colonies within the australian continent participated. Britain, the empire, and the world at the great exhibition is the first book to situate the crystal palace exhibition of 1851 in a truly global context.
They needed the elephant as a frame on which to display a lavish indian howdah an elaborate carriage used as a platform for transportation and game hunting by the indian and british elites, which had recently been presented to queen victoria. The great exhibition of 1851 has become a touchstone for the nineteenth century. This was the first event of its kind in the world, housed in a monumental glass house filled with over 100,000 exhibits to show off british manufacturing achievements to the world. The great exhibition, housed within the crystal palace, embodied prince alberts vision to display the wonders of industry from around the world. From napoleonic europe and the height of the british empire to twentieth. By 1851, the industrial revolution had spread to the far reaches of the british empire. Local committees were appointed to galvanize local support and arrange exhibitors. The british travel agency thomas cook, which announced its bankruptcy today sept. Britain, the empire, and the world at the great exhibition of 1851 jeffrey a. Britain, the empire and the world at the great exhibition of 1851. The great exhibition was an unprecedented event in british society, as for the first time in history, britain s treasures, from both home.
So claimed henry cole, the english civil servant who bore much of the responsibility for organizing the great exhibition of the works of industry of all nations, to give it its full title, in london in 1851. The magnificent crystal palace in hyde park became a magnet for great crowds of visitors from all over. But the great exhibition of 1851 demonstrated the wisdom of internationalism at a time of widespread isolationism in europe. Britain, the empire, and the world at the great exhibition of 1851 24 life.
In 1849, the exhibition of manufactures and art in birmingham opened by king albert gave the latter the idea of expanding this concept on an international scale, so as to be able to confront the progress of all nations. Britain, the empire, and the world at the great exhibition of 1851 edited by jeffrey a. The british empire exhibition held at wembley in 1924, and again in 1925, was intended as a celebration of the achievements of great britain and the british empire, on a lavish scale surpassing anything that had gone before, including the great exhibition of 1851. Alexandra palace opens on queen victorias 54 th birthday. Britain, the empire, and the world at the great exhibition. Auerbach, jeffrey a and peter h hoffenberg eds 2008.
It was also to emphasize the fact that we were all interconnected. London missionaries and the great exhibition of 1851 byu. Great exhibition in britain, the empire, and the world at the great exhibition of 1851. Jeffrey auerbach california state university, northridge. The exhibition, from this angle, stood at the heart of an attempt to locate britain at the centre of a nexus of global power and influence. The archaeology and heritage of mega events in london, 1851. The nine essays that comprise britain, the empire and the world at the great exhibition of 1851 are by a group of international scholars from history, literature, and art. The idea for a great exhibition, to show off the industry and natural resources of the british empire, was first suggested before the first world war. Project muse britain, the empire and the world at the. Addressing national, imperial, and international themes, this collection of essays considers the significance of the exhibition both for its british. Greece at the great exhibition and the crystal palace, debbie challis. Liza picard looks at the exhibits, the building and the ideas behind the project.
Part 2 europe, the orient, and the spaces in between. Dickinson s comprehensive pictures of the great exhibition. The penny black, the world s first adhesive postage stamp, is issued by britain. While it was indeed a global event, it has been argued, especially by people at the time, whether or not the exhibition was held for the great benefit of the british. Many of the pieces were specially commisioned and were purchased to form the kernel of the collection which became the victoria and albert museum. The industrial revolution and the victorian experience. It happened today this day in history may 1 yellow. The colonial exhibits at the great exhibition, 1851 academia.
Project muse britain, the empire and the world at the great. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Historians have saturated the great exhibition with meanings. How clinton paid tribute to one of the greatest love. It stood there from 1854 until its destruction by fire in 1936.
When queen victoria opened the great exhibition at the. The great exhibition of 1851 was certainly not the first example of a largescale public exhibition. How the display of otherness at the great exhibition in 1851 created a national identity in britain. The curious creatures of victorian taxidermy history today. Great exhibition of 1851 british history britannica. The great exhibition of 1851 in the crystal palace at hyde park was arguably the pinnacle of showing off victorian britain in all its might, power, status, splendour and beauty all in the luxury and elegance as befitted the world s greatest empire and power at the height of the british empire. Britain, the empire, and the world at the great exhibition of 1851, jeffrey a. The great exhibition of 1851 ran from may to october and during this time six million people passed through those crystal doors. Each investigates british ideas about race, politics, and empire through the lens of one of the most discussed events of the victorian period. Britain the empire and the world at the great exhibition of 1851. The great exhibition enabled britons to locate themselves in the context of their empire and of the broader world, even as it also attempted to incorporate much of the rest of the world into a. The crystal palace produced a commodity world, an imperial spectacle, a picture of capitalism, a liberal dream, a vision of modern life. The british empire exhibition, 192425 brent council. Crystal palace, giant glassandiron exhibition hall in hyde park, london, that housed the great exhibition of 1851.
How the great exhibition of 1851 still influences science. The great exhibition of 1851 was held in london inside an enormous structure of iron and glass known as the crystal palace. Britain, the empire, and the world at the great exhibition addresses the global, international and imperial characteristics of the crystal palace exhibition in 1851. Choose from 500 different sets of vocabulary history british empire flashcards on quizlet. Technological developments in britains key industries like coal mining. Hoffenberg britain, the empire, and the world at the great exhibition addresses the global, international and imperial characteristics of the crystal palace exhibition in 1851. Auerbach has developed this theme in his introduction to auerbach and hoffenberg, britain, the empire, and the world. From producer to consumer in britain, 18511914 volume 14 issue 1 francesca carnevali, lucy newton. This collection of essays considers how and why the exhibition was significant both for its british hosts and their relationships to the wider world, and for participants from. The great exhibition read more whilst the great exhibition was a tremendous success, exposure to international competition proved something of a rude awakening for british industry.