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The Crystal Palace Foundation Publications and picture library visit site


History of Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace Museum Ltd
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The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851
The Aims of the Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace (then in Hyde Park) ‘to promote the works of industries of all nations’ were continued after the exhibition by turning the organising Royal Commission into a permanent body.

The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 gives fellowships and grants for top level science and industrial research, as well as industrial design. Some 20 awards are made each year which, together with a number of special grants, exceed £1m in value.

Originally set up to stage the Great Exhibition, the Royal Commission was kept in being to invest the Exhibition's substantial profit. It first acquired the site in South Kensington on which the three great museums, the Royal Albert Hall, Imperial College and other Colleges now stand, and it continues to own and manage the freehold of most of this estate. When the development of the estate was complete, in 1892, the Commission then set up the education and research awards programme which runs to this day.

The Commission regrets that it is unable to deal with historical enquires. visit site

National Monuments Record
A rare set of early photographs of one of the most important buildings of the 19th century has been acquired by English Heritage. Purchased in 2004, they show the colossal scale and amazing variety of displays designed for the education and recreation of the nation at the Crystal Palace in Sydenham, south London. These images of c 1859 show the Palace at the height of its international fame: nothing had ever been devised like this structure and its amazingly varied contents. The prefabricated iron and glass structure derives from the original designed by Sir Joseph Paxton for the Great Exhibition held in Hyde Park in 1851. This temporary building was enlarged and re-sited in an elaborate park as a permanent attraction: it was probably the largest building ever disassembled and re-erected elsewhere. Within the Crystal Palace, the ten Fine Arts Courts brought to popular attention a sense of the history of design.

These photographs were taken by Philip Henry Delamotte (1821-89), famous for taking some of the first photographs ever to have systematically documented the construction progress of any building by recording and publishing the reconstruction at Sydenham in 1853-4. It is thought that the set depicted here were taken about five years later - and certainly before 1866 when a fire destroyed one fifth of the building. Most known images of the Palace derive from engravings or lithographs, so these photographs add greatly to our knowledge. The original prints have been digitally enhanced to show as much detail as possible.

The Palace was destroyed by fire in 1936. Today only the park and a few of its attractions survive - including the magnificent set of life-size prehistoric monsters.

English Heritage wishes gratefully to acknowledge that this set was purchased with the aid of the Crystal Palace Foundation and the London Development Agency. View the photographs: visit site

Roman Catholic Diocese of Southwark
The CPF recently had the honour of supplying images to the Diocese for the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the visit of Pope John Paul II to the UK in 1982. To view the images click on the link below and then Crystal Palace. visit site

Parlour Aquariums
A detailed history of aquariums including much information on our own Crystal Palace Aquarium. visit site

Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust
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Public Record Office
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See also some educational fun from the PRO at: visit site

Victoria & Albert Museum
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Kenneth Spencer Research Library
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BBC London
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The Culture of Victorian London
Includes a well researched 3-D computer model of the original Crystal Palace. The content has a number of good points, all of which are very interesting such as the "multifunctional" nature of the building components. The models too are great. There is much else besides e.g. in the London sections.   visit site

Catherine Hayes
As part of the opening of the Great Exhibition on 1 May 1851 at Crystal Palace (Hyde Park), she participated in various oratorios, Elijah, Messiah and Creation with the famous tenor Sims Reeves. Then after a world tour to America and Australia, she returned to England in 1856. In November 1860, Catherine Hayes sang in at least two concerts at Crystal Palace (Sydenham). At the first concert she sang the principal aria from Donizetti's opera Linda di Chamounix and followed up with the Irish song, The Last Rose of Summer"by Thomas Moore.   visit site

The Victorian Web
This is an excellent site, which is well worth a visit for its broad view of Victorian Society and its well-written and researched articles. Also included are articles about the Great Exhibition of 1851.   visit site

Bob Speel
Super exterior and interior images of the Crystal Palace and of exhibits. Brief history of the Great Exhibition and the role played by Sir Joseph Paxton   visit site

Artifice Great Buildings online
This site allows the visitor to search for buildings, architects, places, and related books. No images though. If you want to see these you have to buy the CD-ROM from Artifice Inc.   visit site

Joseph Paxton family tree
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Festival of Britain
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and

Festival of Britain Society
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The official Baird Television website (run by his son Malcolm and his grandson Iain) is at: visit site

John Logie Baird
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or a slightly different version at: visit site


Bromley Council (present owners of the park)
London Borough of Bromley
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Local area groups
The Crystal Palace (Triangle) Community Association
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The Crystal Palace Campaign (CPC)
A group in the area concerned with the future of Crystal Palace Park   visit site

Boycott UCI Cinemas
A group that opposed the construction of the now defunct multiplex proposal on the Crystal Palace site.   visit site

Archaeologists and Development
The archaeologists view.   visit site

Leafy Dulwich on the Web
Plenty of local news, recommended restaurants and home to other local sites.   visit site

Link to the Sydenham Community Website


Norwood Society
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Virtual Norwood
Virtual Norwood (and its partner sites Virtual Anerley, Virtual Sydenham and Virtual Penge) are UK community web sites focused on South London, featuring Virtual Streets, 3D Map, VR Panoramas and Local Information.   visit site

The Crystal Palace Band
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Sport
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
A colourful site with much news about sports activities, concerts, courses and exhibitions   visit site

Sevenoaks & District Motor Club
Dozens of photographs and all the results from the 1999 and 2000 Crystal Palace sprints. visit site

Crystal Palace Football Club official website
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