The Victoria and Albert Museum’s extensive National Art Library serves as a valuable resource for a fresh examination of the ambitious Great Exhibition project, as detailed in Julius Bryant’s latest publication.
Held in Hyde Park in 1851, the Great Exhibition is closely associated with the establishment of the Victoria and Albert Museum. In the fourth installment of his ongoing exploration of the V&A’s origins and evolution, Julius Bryant adopts a novel perspective on this Victorian landmark, which many may believe they are already familiar with. The title itself hints at this new approach: the emphasis is on the various visual sources that presented the exhibition to the public, including paintings, prints, periodicals, and photographs. Rather than focusing on the social implications, Bryant scrutinizes the visual documentation of the event.
Historical Context and Development
Industrial Britain was recognized for its advancements in manufacturing and technology, yet it was criticized for its lack of aesthetic sensibility—a deficiency that the exhibition, along with numerous individual efforts, aimed to rectify.
The book is structured with an introduction, seven chapters, and a conclusion that trace the exhibition’s origins back to 18th-century trade fairs. It discusses the founding of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce in 1754, the establishment of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 in 1850, with Prince Albert serving as its president, and the lasting impact of the event. In a skillful re-evaluation, Albert’s significant role is appropriately highlighted amidst competing claims, particularly from Henry Cole, known as „the great exhibitor“ and a self-promoter.
Key Figures and Rapid Construction
The youthful ages of the main figures involved are striking: Albert was just 30 years old, Matthew Digby Wyatt, the committee secretary, was 29, and Lyon Playfair, Albert’s “special commissioner,” was 31. The astonishing speed of the construction is noteworthy; the project commenced on January 20, 1850, and opened to the public on May 5, 1851. Albert and the Royal Commissioners successfully gathered 13,937 exhibitors from both Britain and abroad, allocating half of the exhibition space to British manufacturing while the remainder was dedicated to international displays.
Rich Resources at the National Art Library
The unparalleled collection of Great Exhibition materials housed in the V&A’s National Art Library offers an extraordinary variety of resources. As recorded in Helen Pye-Smith’s bibliography, The Great Exhibition in Print (1998), one particularly unique aspect is the collection amassed by Charles Wentworth Dilke, a member of Albert’s executive committee. Dilke gathered every piece of material he could find during the exhibition, including even the most trivial ephemera, which he cataloged in 1855. His informal records provide insights that are often missing from the conventional narrative.
Artistic Representations and Visitor Experience
Chapter 4 prominently features David Roberts’s expansive panoramic painting, the Inauguration of the Great Exhibition (1852), which he described as “unpaintable.” This artwork depicts Albert presenting the Report of the Commissioners to Queen Victoria in front of approximately 25,000 attendees. A printed plan from Dilke’s collection facilitates a revealing virtual tour of the exhibition space in Chapter 5, showcasing an array of exhibits, from massive coal displays to furs and machinery, before arriving at decorative items. Notably, fine art was represented through sculpture, as paintings were not classified as works of “industry.” This exhibition included over 235 sculptures, marking the largest display of Victorian sculpture ever assembled. Chapter 7’s “Comprehensive Views” illustrate serene groups admiring the exhibits, contrasting with the reality of the event, which saw over six million visitors navigating through crowded spaces.
Legacy and Educational Initiatives
Even before the exhibition concluded, Albert proposed that the surplus profits be utilized to create educational institutions. This vision led to the development of South Kensington’s “Albertopolis,” which became a center for science, culture, and education, featuring some of the most remarkable examples of Victorian architecture, including Alfred Waterhouse’s Natural History Museum, Henry Cole’s South Kensington Museum (now the V&A), Arthur Blomfield’s Royal College of Music, the Royal College of Organists by H.H. Cole, and the Royal Albert Hall, designed by Captain Francis Fowke and Major-General Henry Y. D. Scott. Albert passed away on December 14, 1861, and the subsequent International Exhibition of 1862 opened in May amidst a period of mourning. The Great Exhibition of 1851 also represented a pivotal moment in Britain’s emergence on the global stage.
Julius Bryant’s book, The Great Exhibition in Art: Picturing the First World’s Fair, 1851, published by Lund Humphries/V&A Publishing, spans 160 pages and includes 150 color and black-and-white illustrations, priced at £39.95 (hardcover), with a release date of October 27, 2025.
Charlotte Gere, a distinguished expert in Victorian art and design, and a respected contributor, is remembered through this review.
Bildquelle: Bildquelle: Julia Taubitz auf Unsplash
