See Also

The Crystal Palace

huge iron and glass building, The Crystal Palace was originally erected in Hyde Park Hyde Park, London

Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London [i] and one of the Royal Parks of London [i]. ... 

 in 19th Century 19th century

The 19th century lasted from 1801 [i] through 1900 [i] in the Gregorian calendar [i]. ... 

 Britain United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state [i] tha ... 

 to house the Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition

The Great Exhibition, also known as the Crystal Palace Exhibition, was an international exhibition... 

 of 1851. After the exhibition it was moved to Upper Norwood Upper Norwood

Upper Norwood is an elevated area in south London [i], England [i] within the postcode SE19. ... 

 where it was enlarged, and stood from 1854 until 1936. It attracted many thousands of visitors from all levels of society. The name "Crystal Palace" was coined by the satirical magazine Punch Punch (magazine)

Punch was a British [i] weekly magazine [i] of humour [i] and satire [i] published fro ... 

. The name was later adopted by Crystal Palace Football Club Crystal Palace F.C.

Crystal Palace Football Club is a professional football team based in South Norwood [i] in south-east London [i] ... 

 and generally to denote that area of south London Crystal Palace, London

Crystal Palace is an area in south London [i], England [i] named after The Crystal Palace [i] which relo ... 

.

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Timeline

1851   The ''Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition

The Great Exhibition, also known as the Crystal Palace Exhibition, was an international exhibition... 

 of the Works of Industry of All Nations'' in the Crystal Palace, Hyde Park Hyde Park, London

Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London [i] and one of the Royal Parks of London [i]. ... 

, London London

London is the capital [i] city of England [i] and of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

 is opened by Queen Victoria Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was the Queen [i] of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland [i] ... 

. It runs until October 18.

1936   In London London

London is the capital [i] city of England [i] and of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

, the Crystal Palace is destroyed in a fire (it had been built for the 1851 Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition

The Great Exhibition, also known as the Crystal Palace Exhibition, was an international exhibition... 

).



Encyclopedia




The Crystal Palace The Crystal Palace

A huge iron and glass building, The Crystal Palace was originally erected in Hyde Park [i] in 19th Century [i] ... 

 is also a fantasy novel by Phyllis Eisenstein.


A huge iron and glass building, The Crystal Palace was originally erected in Hyde Park Hyde Park, London

Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London [i] and one of the Royal Parks of London [i]. ... 

 in 19th Century 19th century

The 19th century lasted from 1801 [i] through 1900 [i] in the Gregorian calendar [i].
... 

 Britain United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state [i] tha ... 

 to house the Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition

The Great Exhibition, also known as the Crystal Palace Exhibition, was an international exhibition... 

 of 1851.

After the exhibition it was moved to Upper Norwood Upper Norwood

Upper Norwood is an elevated area in south London [i], England [i] within the postcode SE19. ... 

 where it was enlarged, and stood from 1854 until 1936. It attracted many thousands of visitors from all levels of society. The name "Crystal Palace" was coined by the satirical magazine Punch Punch (magazine)

Punch was a British [i] weekly magazine [i] of humour [i] and satire [i] published fro ... 

.

The name was later adopted by Crystal Palace Football Club Crystal Palace F.C.

Crystal Palace Football Club is a professional football team based in South Norwood [i] in south-east London [i] ... 

 and generally to denote that area of south London Crystal Palace, London

Crystal Palace is an area in south London [i], England [i] named after The Crystal Palace [i] which relo ... 

.

Original Hyde Park building

The huge glass Glass

Glass is a uniform amorphous solid [i] material, usually produced when the viscous molten material cools ... 

 and iron Iron

Iron is a chemical element [i] with the symbol Fe and atomic number [i] 26. ... 

 structure at the top of Sydenham Hill was originally erected in Hyde Park Hyde Park, London

Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London [i] and one of the Royal Parks of London [i]. ... 

 in London London

London is the capital [i] city of England [i] and of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

 to house The Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition

The Great Exhibition, also known as the Crystal Palace Exhibition, was an international exhibition... 

, embodying the products of many countries throughout the world.


Seen in its grand magnificence, the new Crystal Palace again displayed the genius Genius

A genius is a person with distinguished mental abilities.... 

 of its creator, Joseph Paxton Joseph Paxton

Sir Joseph Paxton was an English [i] gardener and architect [i] of The Crystal Palace [i] ... 

, who was knight Knight

Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages [i]. ... 

ed in recognition of his work. Paxton had been head gardener at Chatsworth, in Derbyshire Derbyshire

Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands [i] of England [i].... 

, where he had befriended its owner, the Duke of Devonshire William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire

William George Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire, KG [i], PC [i] ... 

. Here he had experiment Experiment

In the scientific method [i], an experiment , is a set of actions and observation [i]s, performed in the ... 

ed with glass Glass

Glass is a uniform amorphous solid [i] material, usually produced when the viscous molten material cools ... 

 and iron Iron

Iron is a chemical element [i] with the symbol Fe and atomic number [i] 26. ... 

 in the creation of large greenhouses Greenhouse

A greenhouse is a building where plants are cultivated.... 

, and had seen something of their strength and durability. He applied this knowledge to the plans for the Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition

The Great Exhibition, also known as the Crystal Palace Exhibition, was an international exhibition... 

 building — with astounding results. Planners had been looking for strength, durability, simplicity of construction and speed — and this they got from Paxton's ideas. According to the 2004 Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopædia Britannica

The Encyclopdia Britannica was first published in 1768–1771 as Encyclopdia Britannica, or, ... 

, "Paxton was partly inspired by the organic structure of the Amazonian lily Victoria regia Victoria Regia

Victoria Regia is a studio album by Amazon [i], released in 2005. ... 

, which he successfully cultivated".

The Crystal Palace was built by about 5,000 navvies who worked very hard for very little and completed their tasks quickly. Their welfare became the concern of Catherine Marsh, who noticed the poor conditions they were working in and treatment they received: she spared no effort to see that they received fair and just treatment. She made sure that meals were provided for them.

The 900,000 square feet of glass was provided by the Chance Brothers glassworks in Smethwick, Birmingham Birmingham

Birmingham is a city [i] and metropolitan borough [i] in the West Midlands [i] ... 

. They were the only glassworks capable of fulfilling such a large order, and had to bring in labour from France to meet it in time.

Relocation



The life of the Great Exhibition was limited to six months, and something then had to be done with the building. Against the wishes of Parliamentary Parliament of the United Kingdom

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body [i] ... 

 opponents of anything to do with the scheme, the edifice was re-erected on a property named Penge Place which had been excised from Penge Common atop Sydenham Hill. It was much modified and enlarged, and within two years Queen Victoria Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was the Queen [i] of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland [i] ... 

 again performed an opening ceremony Ceremony

A ceremony is an activity, infused with ritual [i] significance, performed on a special occasion. ... 

.

Two railway stations Train station

For Ottawa [i]'s OC Transpo [i]'s Transitway [i] station and the city's main train terminal, see Train Station [i] ... 

 were opened to serve the permanent exhibition. The Low Level Station is still in use today as Crystal Palace railway station Crystal Palace railway station

Crystal Palace railway station is located in the London Borough of Bromley [i] in south London [i]. ... 

, and part of the High Level Station, a subway which gave access to the Parade area, can also still be seen with its Italian Italy

Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European [i] country. ... 

 mosaic Mosaic

Mosaic is the art [i] of decoration with small pieces of colored glass, stone or other material. ... 

 roofing. This subway is also a Grade II listed building Listed building

In the United Kingdom [i] the term 'listed building' refers to a building or other structure officially ... 

.

There is an apocryphal story, popular amongst local schoolchildren, that the Crystal Palace High Level Station was closed because a commuter train was trapped by a tunnel collapse and remains there to this day. In reality the closure was a scheduled part of the decline of the railway network in the 1950s.

Water features

Joseph Paxton was first and foremost a gardener, and his layout of garden Garden

A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of ... 

s, fountain Fountain

A traditional fountain is an arrangement where water issues from a source, fills a basin of some kind, a... 

s, terraces and cascades left no doubt as to his ability. One thing he did have a problem with was water supply. Such was his enthusiasm that thousands of gallons of water were needed in order to feed the myriad fountains and cascades which abounded in the Crystal Palace park. The two main jets were 250 feet high.

Initially water tower Water tower

A water tower or elevated water tank is a very large tank constructed for the purpose of holding a... 

s were constructed, but the weight of water in the raised tanks caused them to collapse. And so Isambard Kingdom Brunel Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS [i]
... 

 was consulted and came up with the plans for two mighty water towers, one at the north and the other at the south end of the building. Each supported a tremendous load of water which was gathered from three reservoirs at either end of and the middle of the park.

Two years later, the grand fountains and cascades were opened, again in the presence of the Queen — who got wet when a gust of wind swept mists of spray over the Royal carriage.

Attractions







Among the attractions were the dinosaur Dinosaur

Dinosaurs were vertebrate [i] animal [i]s that dominated terrestrial [i] ecosystem [i]s for ove ... 

s, life-size models designed and made by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins

Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins was an English [i] sculptor [i] and natural history [i] artist [i] ... 

, situated by the Lower lakes, near the Anerley Anerley

Anerley is a suburb of London [i] in the London Borough of Bromley [i], England [i]. ... 

 entrance. These are still there today, although it is now known that they are anatomically inaccurate. A dinner party for 22 was held by Hawkins inside one of the Iguanodon Iguanodon

Iguanodon is the name given to a genus [i] of ornithopod [i] dinosaur [i]s, which lived roughly half ... 

 statues. The Victorian statues were renovated in a £4,000,000 project. They were officially unveiled by the Duke of Edinburgh in 2002.

The exhibits included just about every marvel of the Victorian Age Victorian era

The Victorian era of Great Britain [i] marked the height of ... 

, encompassing the products of many countries throughout the world. There was pottery Pottery

Pottery is a type of ceramic [i] material, which the American Society for Testing and Materials [i] has ... 

 and porcelain Porcelain

Porcelain is a ceramic [i] material made by heating to high temperature selected and refined materials o ... 

; ironwork and furniture Furniture

Furniture is the collective term [i] for the movable objects which may support the human body ... 

; steam hammers and hydraulic presses; perfume Perfume

Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oil [i]s and aroma compound [i]s, fixative [i]s, and solvent [i]... 

s and piano Piano

piano or pianoforte is a musical instrument [i] classified as a keyboard [i], ... 

s; houses and diving suits; firearm Firearm

A firearm is a weapon [i] that fires either single or multiple projectile [i]s propelled at high velocit ... 

s and barometer Barometer

A barometer is an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure [i]. ... 

s; fabric Textile

A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial fibre [i]s often referr ... 

s and fireworks Fireworks

A fireworks event is a spectacular display of the effects produced by firework [i] devices on various o ... 

 — and much more including a walking stick containing an enema Enema

[i] via the [[anus]... 

!

Queen Victoria Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was the Queen [i] of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland [i] ... 

 loved the place and said she found it 'enchanting'. This was to some extent due to the degree of esteem in which she held the ultimate architect of its fortunes, her beloved husband, Prince Albert Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke in Saxony was the husband and consort [i] of Queen Victoria [i] ... 

.

Most FA Cup FA Cup

The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is the main knockout [i] ... 

 finals in the early years of the competition were held in the Crystal Palace Park. The last to be held there was in 1914 when George V George V of the United Kingdom

George V was the first British monarch [i] belonging to the House of Windsor [i], as a result of his cr... 

 became the first reigning monarch to watch the final. Even before the creation of the Crystal Palace F.C. Crystal Palace F.C.

Crystal Palace Football Club is a professional football team based in South Norwood [i] in south-east London [i] ... 

, a team bearing the name Crystal Palace played in the competition. Players came from the staff of the Crystal Palace.

Decline

The fortunes of the Crystal Palace began to decline when the place ran down and money was not available for maintenance. This was to a large extent due to the failure to obtain sufficient money by way of admission fees, in turn due to the inability to cater for a large portion of the population. The mass of people who would gladly visit the Palace were unable to do so because the only day on which they could get away from work was Sunday, and Sunday was the day on which the Palace was firmly closed. No amount of protest had any effect: the Lord's Day Observance Society  held that people should not be encouraged to work at the Palace or drive transport on Sunday, and that if people wanted to visit, then their employers should give them time off during the working week. This, naturally, they would not do.

There was a Festival of Empire in 1911, to mark the coronation Coronation of the British monarch

The Coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony [i] in which the monarch [i] of the ... 

 of George V George V of the United Kingdom

George V was the first British monarch [i] belonging to the House of Windsor [i], as a result of his cr... 

 and Queen Mary Mary of Teck

Mary of Teck was the Queen Consort [i] of George V of the United Kingdom [i].... 

, but things went from bad to worse, and two years later the 1st Earl of Plymouth Robert Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth

Robert George Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth was an English nobleman.
... 

 purchased the Palace for the nation to save it from developers.

In the Great War World War I

World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War and "The War to End All War... 

 it was used as a naval training establishment under the name of HMS Victory VI, informally known as HMS Crystal Palace. At the cessation of hostilities it was re-opened as the first Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museum

The Imperial War Museum is a museum in London [i] featuring military vehicles, weapons, war memorabilia,... 

. Sir Henry Buckland took over as General Manager, and things began to look up, many former attractions being resumed, including the Thursday evening displays of fireworks Fireworks

A fireworks event is a spectacular display of the effects produced by firework [i] devices on various o ... 

 by Brocks.

Destruction by fire

On 30 November, 1936 came the final catastrophe. Within hours, fire Fire

Fire is a phenomenon [i] of combustion [i] manifested in intense heat [i] and light [i] in the form of a ... 

 consumed all that had stood for a mighty empire Empire

What exactly constitutes an Empire is a topic of intense debate within the scholarly community.... 

 and boundless imagination. The Palace was destroyed, the fire was seen for miles and thousands of people saw the night sky light up by the flames. Just as in 1866 when a fire burnt down the north transept Transept

Full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram [i].
... 

, the building was not adequately insured to cover the cost of rebuilding.

Winston Churchill Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG [i], OM [i], CH [i] ... 

 on his way home from the House of Commons British House of Commons

|align=left|
  • Parliament [i]

... 

 said: "This is the end of an age".

The South Tower had been used for tests by television Television

Television is a telecommunication [i] system for
... 

 pioneer John Logie Baird John Logie Baird

John Logie Baird was a Scottish [i] engineer [i], who is best known as the inventor of the fir ... 

 for his mechanical television experiments. Unfortunately for him, much of his work was destroyed in the fire.

In memoriam

All that was left standing were the two water Water

Water is a taste [i]less, odor [i]less substance that is essential to all known forms of life [i] and i ... 

 towers, and these were taken down during World War II World War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide [i] conflict [i] fought betwe ... 

. The reason given was that the Germans Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country [i] in central Europe [i]. ... 

 could use them to navigate Navigation

There are several traditions of navigation.... 

 their way to London London

London is the capital [i] city of England [i] and of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

. The north North

North is one of the four [i] cardinal directions [i], specifically the direction that, in Western culture [i] ... 

 one was dynamited, while the south South

[i] or [[geography]... 

 one was taken down brick Brick

Brick is an artificial stone [i] made by forming clay [i] into rectangular blocks [i] which are ... 

 by brick as it was very close to other buildings.
After the war, the site was used for a number of purposes. Between 1953 and 1973 a motor car racing circuit operated on the site with some race meetings supported by the Greater London Council Greater London Council

The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government [i] administrative body for Greater London [i] ... 

.

The Crystal Palace Foundation was created in 1979 to keep alive the memory and respect for this epic age in Britain's history. Discussion regarding its future continues, various plans have been put forward but none have been put into action on the Top Site.

The park which surrounds the site is now home to Crystal Palace National Sports Centre Crystal Palace National Sports Centre

The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace [i] in south London [i] is a large sports [i] ... 

.

The design of the Crystal Palace has inspired many latter-day construction projects, such as the Dallas, Texas Dallas, Texas

Dallas is the third-largest city in the state of Texas [i] and the ninth-largest [i] ... 

-based Infomart Infomart

Infomart [i] can also refer to an electronic text service owned by Thompson Newspapers.
... 

.

Crystal Palace in popular culture

The Crystal Palace made a strong impression on the visitors coming from all over Europe, including a number of writers. It soon became a symbol of modernity and civilization, hailed by some and decried by others.

  • French author Valéry Larbaud left a short text describing his impressions of the Crystal Palace.
  • In What is to be done?, Russian author and philosopher Nikolai Chernyshevsky Nikolai Chernyshevsky

    Nikolai Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky was a Russia [i]n revolutionary democrat, materialist [i] philosopher, ... 

     pledges to transform the society into a Crystal Palace thanks to a socialist revolution.
  • Fyodor Dostoevsky Fyodor Dostoevsky

    Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky is considered one of the greatest [[Russian literature|Russian writers]... 

     implicitly replied to Chernyshevsky in Notes from Underground. The narrator thinks that human nature will prefer destruction and chaos to the harmony symbolized by the Crystal Palace.
  • The Palace was seen in the 2004 anime Anime

    is an abbreviation of the English [i] word "animation" but in Japanese is spelled ??????? wr ... 

     film Steam Boy Steamboy

    is a Japanese [i] anime [i] film [i], directed by Katsuhiro Otomo [i], his second major anime release,... 

    , and it was also featured in the 2005 anime Anime

    is an abbreviation of the English [i] word "animation" but in Japanese is spelled ??????? wr ... 

     series Eikoku Koi Monogatari Emma Emma (anime and manga)

    is a Japanese [i] seinen [i] manga [i] by Kaoru Mori [i].... 

    .
  • Following damage during World War II World War II

    World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide [i] conflict [i] fought betwe ... 

     the replacement for the East window in St John the Evangelist in Penge Penge

    Penge is a place in the London Borough of Bromley [i]. ... 

     High Street features an idyllic view of the local landscape at the time the church was built, including the Crystal Palace.
  • The Crystal Palace serves as the location in the finale of the fantasy book Ptolemy's Gate Ptolemy's Gate

    Ptolemy's Gate is the third book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy [i], written by Jonathan Stroud [i]. ... 

    .
  • Italian writer Alessandro Baricco incorporated the Crystal Palace into his novel Land of glass using a mixture of fiction and facts.
  • German philosopher Peter Sloterdijk Peter Sloterdijk

    Peter Sloterdijk is a philosopher [i]. ... 

     uses the Crystal Palace as a metaphor for the European project.
  • The distinctive skyscraper at 30 St Mary Axe 30 St Mary Axe

    30 St Mary Axe is a building in London's [i] main financial district, the City of London [i]. ... 

    , London, picked up the nickname of The Crystal Phallus due to its shape, and as a play on the name Crystal Palace.

See also


... 


  • List of buildings See for other famous or notable buildings
  • Greenhouses Greenhouse

    A greenhouse is a building where plants are cultivated.... 

  • Crystal Palace F.C. Crystal Palace F.C.

    Crystal Palace Football Club is a professional football team based in South Norwood [i] in south-east London [i] ... 



External links

  • - map of the park as it is now
  • on Sir Joseph Paxton - includes photgraphs

including Victorian maps showing the palace


References