[Millennium Dome team]
Millennium Dome team
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The Millennium Dome team, left to right: Tanya Ross, Julian Shepperd, Tony Robinson, Brian Gash and Chew Ping Ryan inside the Millennium Dome |
Tania Ross, Brian Gash, Julian Sheppard and Chew Ping Ryan investigate how the Crystal Palace came into being.
ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS
Tania and Chew Ping travel to where the idea of the Great Exhibition
was thought up. Examining the Scott Russell papers (Exhib. 1851,
vols I & II), they discover that among the key players was Prince Albert, who proposed Hyde Park as the location. Once the Royal Commission
was appointed, it was decided to divide the exhibits into four
categories, and to establish a subscription fund.
VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM
Tania and Chew Ping view the commemorative plaque to the Great
Exhibition in the Pirelli Garden and research in the National
Art Library to find out more about the political tussle over the
exhibition and how the building of the Crystal Palace was agreed
to and arranged. They examine the book containing all Henry Cole's
minutes of the Royal Commission meetings and a large collection
of catalogues, circulars and other documents relating to the Great
Exhibition.
CHATSWORTH HOUSE
Julian and Brian look at Joseph Paxton's letters dating from June
and November 1850 in which they find elements of the story of
Paxton's submission of the design for the Crystal Palace and its
final acceptance. They also discover how Paxton unsuccessfully
tried to keep the building in Hyde Park after the Great Exhibition
closed. During a walk around the grounds, they see that virtually
nothing remains of Paxton's works: the Great Conservatory was
destroyed in 1920 and his Victoria Regia Lily House (built in
1848) was torn down after World War II.
VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM
Tania and Chew Ping learn that there was a gradual increase in
enthusiasm for the Great Exhibition, with a large number of manufacturers
applying to exhibit. They also discover that a railway station in Oxford was made from the same kit as the Crystal Palace.
CHATSWORTH HOUSE
Brian learns that Paxton bought Rockhills, a house in Sydenham,
to oversee the work of re-erecting the Crystal Palace after an
accident resulted in 10 deaths. Paxton himself became less concerned
with the project as he got older and took on his responsibilities
as MP for Coventry.
HYDE PARK
Tania and Chew Ping look for any remains of the Crystal Palace
and visit the Albert Memorial to see Prince Albert clutching a catalogue to the Great Exhibition.
OXFORD OLD LMS STATION
Tania and Chew Ping find the only remaining example of iron modules that were also used in the construction of the Crystal Palace.
VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM
The team examines the Great Exhibition catalogue. They then study
documents relating to the opening of the exhibition and its success,
especially the first and second reports of the Commissioners and
newspaper accounts.
