Editing Great Exhibition (section)

==Background==
The Great Exhibition was organised by Prince [[Albert, Prince Consort|Albert]], [[Henry Cole (inventor)|Henry Cole]], Francis Henry, [[George Wallis]], [[Wentworth Dilke]], and other members of the [[Royal Society of Arts|Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce]] as a celebration of modern [[Secondary sector of the economy|industrial]] technology and design. It was arguably a response to the highly effective [[French Industrial Exposition of 1844]]: indeed, its prime motive was for Britain to make "clear to the world its role as industrial leader".<ref name="Kishlansky, Mark 2008">Kishlansky, Mark, Patrick Geary and Patricia O'Brien. ''Civilization in the West''. 7th Edition. Vol. C. New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2008.</ref> Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort, was an enthusiastic promoter of the self-financing exhibition; the government was persuaded to form the [[Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851]] to establish the viability of hosting such an exhibition. Queen Victoria visited three times with her family, and 34 times on her own.<ref>{{cite web |title=Eugene-Louis Lami (1800-90) - The opening of the Great Exhibition 1851 |url=https://www.rct.uk/collection/452380/the-opening-of-the-great-exhibition-1851 |website=www.rct.uk |publisher=[[Royal Collection]] |language=en }}</ref> Although the Great Exhibition was a platform on which countries from around the world could display their achievements, Britain sought to prove its own superiority. The British exhibits at the Great Exhibition "held the lead in almost every field where strength, durability, utility and quality were concerned, whether in iron and steel, machinery or textiles."<ref name="Ffrench, Yvonne 1851">Ffrench, Yvonne. ''The Great Exhibition''; 1851. London: Harvill Press, 1950.</ref> Britain also sought to provide the world with the hope of a better future. Europe had just emerged from "two difficult decades of political and social upheaval," and now Britain hoped to show that technology, particularly its own, was the key to a better future.

Sophie Forgan says of the exhibition that "Large, piled-up 'trophy' exhibits in the central avenue revealed the organisers' priorities; they generally put art or colonial raw materials in the most prestigious place. Technology and moving machinery were popular, especially working exhibits." She also notes that visitors "could watch the entire process of cotton production from spinning to finished cloth. Scientific instruments were found in class X, and included electric telegraphs, microscopes, air pumps and barometers, as well as musical, [[horological]] and surgical instruments."<ref name="Forgan, S. 2000">{{citation |last=Forgan |first=Sophie |journal=Nature |page=596 |title=A compendium of Victorian culture |volume=403 |issue=6880 |date=10 February 2000 |doi=10.1038/35001134|bibcode=2000Natur.403..596F |s2cid=7602408 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

A special building, or "The Great [[Shalimar Gardens, Lahore|Shalimar]]",<ref name="dukemag">{{cite web |url= http://dukemagazine.duke.edu/article/the-great-exhibition-of-1851 |title= The Great Exhibition of 1851|access-date=30 July 2007 |work= Duke Magazine|date= November 2006}}</ref> was built to house the show. It was designed by [[Joseph Paxton]] with support from [[structural engineer]] [[Charles Fox (civil and railway engineer)|Charles Fox]], the committee overseeing its construction including [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]], and went from its organisation to the grand opening in just nine months. The building was architecturally adventurous, drawing on Paxton's experience designing [[greenhouse]]s for the [[William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire|sixth Duke of Devonshire]]. It took the form of a massive glass house, 1848 feet long by 454 feet wide (about 563 metres by 138 metres) and was constructed from [[cast iron]]-frame components and [[glass]] made almost exclusively in [[Birmingham]]<ref>{{cite book|editor=James Harrison|title=Children's Encyclopedia of British History|year=1996|publisher=Kingfisher Publications|location=London |isbn=978-0-7534-0299-3|page=131|chapter=Imperial Britain}}</ref> and [[Smethwick]]. From the interior, the building's large size was emphasized with trees and statues; this served, not only to add beauty to the spectacle, but also to demonstrate man's triumph over nature.<ref name="Kishlansky, Mark 2008"/> The Crystal Palace was an enormous success, considered an architectural marvel, but also an engineering triumph that showed the importance of the exhibition itself.<ref name="Ffrench, Yvonne 1851"/> The building was later moved and re-erected in 1854 in enlarged form at [[Sydenham Hill]] in south London, an area that was renamed [[Crystal Palace, London|Crystal Palace]]. It was destroyed by fire on 30 November 1936.<ref name="dukemag"/>

Six million people—equivalent to a third of the entire population of Britain at the time—visited the Great Exhibition. The average daily attendance was 42,831 with a peak of 109,915 on 7 October.<ref>{{cite book|title=Appletons' annual cyclopaedia and register of important events of the year: 1862|year=1863|publisher=D. Appleton & Company|location=New York|page=412 |url=https://archive.org/stream/1862appletonsan02newyuoft#page/n419/mode/1up}}</ref> [[Thomas Cook]] arranged travel to the event for 150,000 people and it was important in his company's development. The event made a surplus of £186,000 (£33,221,701.65 in 2023), which was used to found the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]], the [[Science Museum (London)|Science Museum]] and the [[Natural History Museum, London|Natural History Museum]]. They were all built in the area to the south of the exhibition, nicknamed [[Albertopolis]], alongside the [[Commonwealth Institute|Imperial Institute]]. The remaining surplus was used to set up [[Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851|an educational trust]] to provide grants and scholarships for industrial research; it continues to do so today.<ref>{{cite web | last = The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 | title = About Us | url = http://www.royalcommission1851.org.uk/about.html | access-date = 1 November 2008}}</ref>

The exhibition caused controversy as its opening approached. Some conservatives feared that the mass of visitors might become a revolutionary mob.<ref name="newth">{{cite book | last = Newth | first = A.M. | title = Britain and the World: 1789–1901 | publisher = Penguin Books | location = New York | year = 1967 | isbn = 978-0-14-080304-4 | page = 97}}</ref> The English-born King [[Ernest Augustus I of Hanover]], shortly before his death, wrote to Lord Strangford about it: <blockquote>
The folly and absurdity of the Queen in allowing this trumpery must strike every sensible and well-thinking mind, and I am astonished the ministers themselves do not insist on her at least going to [[Osborne House|Osborne]] during the Exhibition, as no human being can possibly answer for what may occur on the occasion.  The idea&nbsp;... must shock every honest and well-meaning Englishman.  But it seems everything is conspiring to lower us in the eyes of Europe.<ref>{{citation |last=Van der Kiste |first=John |year=2004 |title=George III's Children |edition=revised |publisher=Sutton Publishing Ltd |location=[[Stroud]], United Kingdom |isbn=978-0-7509-3438-1 |pages=206–207}}</ref></blockquote>

In modern times, the Great Exhibition is a symbol of the [[Victorian Age]], and its thick catalogue, illustrated with steel engravings, is a primary source for High Victorian design.<ref>{{cite book|title=Official Catalogue of the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations |year=1851 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OfMHAAAAQAAJ}}</ref> The Albert Memorial to the exhibition, crowned with a statue of [[Albert, Prince Consort|Prince Albert]], is located behind the [[Royal Albert Hall]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://preview-riba.contensis.com/LibraryDrawingsAndPhotographs/Albertopolis/TheStoryOf/GreatExhibition/MemorialToTheExhibition.aspx| title=Memorial to the exhibition| publisher=[[Royal Institute of British Architects]]| access-date=18 October 2014| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141018203211/http://preview-riba.contensis.com/LibraryDrawingsAndPhotographs/Albertopolis/TheStoryOf/GreatExhibition/MemorialToTheExhibition.aspx| archive-date=18 October 2014| url-status=dead}}</ref> It is inscribed with statistics from the exhibition, including the number of visitors and exhibitors (British and foreign), and the profit made.

A range of medals were produced and awarded to exhibitors, jurists and providers of services.<ref>{{cite web|title= The Great Exhibition|url= http://www.historicalmedals.com/expo1851.htm|website= www.historicmedals.com|access-date= 18 March 2021|archive-date= 21 April 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210421145133/http://historicalmedals.com/expo1851.htm|url-status= dead}}</ref>

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File:1851 Medal Crystal Palace World Expo London, obverse.jpg|1851 medal [[The Crystal Palace]] in London by Allen & Moore, obverse
File:1851 Medal Crystal Palace World Expo London, reverse.jpg|1851 medal [[The Crystal Palace]] in London by Allen & Moore, reverse
</gallery>