Photograph of the plaster courts, Sydenham and the International Exhibition, 1854 &1862
h 43.0, w 27.5 cm
The Great Exhibition of 1851 was in Crystal Palace built in Hyde Park by Joseph Paxton. It was a showpiece of British industrial engineering and showed almost unbound belief in continuous progress. Inside was an international competition with 30 different medal groups starting with the Mining, Quarrying, metallurgical operations and mineral production and ending with sculpture, models and plastic art. Crystal Palace was moved to Sydenham and it is here and in the International Exhibition of 1862 that the photographs in the album are taken. The pond in the middle of the photograph and the vegetation might at first sight suggest that the picture is taken outside but after careful observation glass and cast iron can be distinguished in the background, outdoor has become indoor.
