{"id":143,"date":"2023-03-08T17:22:22","date_gmt":"2023-03-08T17:22:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppcchis1320\/chapter\/module-2-24\/"},"modified":"2023-05-12T17:20:51","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T17:20:51","slug":"module-2-24","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppcchis1320\/chapter\/module-2-24\/","title":{"raw":"2.21 Exploration: The Great Exhibition of 1851","rendered":"2.21 Exploration: The Great Exhibition of 1851"},"content":{"raw":"

The Industrial Revolution<\/h1>\r\n
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The Industrious Prince<\/h2>\r\n
\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"741\"]\"Winterhalter, Winterhalter, Franz Xaver. \"Family of Queen Victoria.\" 1846. Royal Collection. Wikimedia<\/a>. December 27, 2015.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn 1840, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom wed her chosen prince consort (and first cousin), Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He never ascended to the throne himself as she remained firmly in control. By all accounts, this was a love match and, after Prince Albert died suddenly in 1861, Queen Victoria mourned him for the remainder of her life. While he was alive though, he found plenty of useful things to do.\r\n\r\nAs the Queen's consort, Prince Albert held no royal power or duties, so he devoted himself to running the royal estates and getting behind public causes such as the abolition of slavery worldwide and educational reform. One of his great projects involved bringing the Great Exhibition of 1851 to London. This exhibition was a celebration of industrialism and technology from around the world, but, most importantly as a showcase for the industrial power of Great Britain. Explore the Great Exhibition of 1851 - the celebration of manufacturing in the Industrial Age - at the Victoria and Albert Museum's excellent site The Great Exhibition.<\/a>\r\n\r\nThe exhibition occurred at the height of the Industrial Age; as such, everyone was very cognizant of what a marvel man had achieved. Examine the images preserved by the British Library<\/a>. What surprises you? What does this tell you about the might of Great Britain at the height of Queen Victoria's reign?\r\n

Bibliography<\/h4>\r\n
\r\n\r\nVictoria and Albert Museum. \"The Great Exhibition.\" Victoria and Albert Museum.<\/em><\/a> Accessed March 30, 2020.\r\n\r\nPicard, Liza. \"The Great Exhibition.\" British Library<\/a>.<\/em> October 14, 2009. Accessed March 30, 2020.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

The Crystal Palace<\/h3>\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1199\"]\"McNeven, McNeven, J. \"Interior of the Crystal Palace.\" 1851. Wikimedia<\/a>. March 13, 2016.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nOnce the exhibition had been planned and a date set, the work of designing the building that would house this vast endeavor was at-hand. The committee members tasked with the job solicited building plans for months, but they couldn't find one that everyone agreed upon. Ultimately, they ran out of time and, instead of a brick and mortar building, they were forced to rely upon the imagination of a gardener.\r\n\r\n\"Prince Albert's Great Exhibition of 1851.\"<\/a> Early Victorian London: 1837-1870.<\/em> 1976. Films on Demand. <\/em>5:09.\r\n