Crystal Palace History
Crystal Palace fire photographs
These photographs were taken by the Sport and General Press Agency who were located in Fleet Street, London but many of their archives were destoyed in a 1941 bombing raid.The original photographs are of typically excellent quality and are of quite large size - 285mm wide x 260mm...
Leaving Hyde Park, 1851
When the doors of the Great Exhibition closed in October 1851, it had already been agreed that Hyde Park had to be returned to its original state. From that arose the controversial question posed by Sir Joseph Paxton: 'What is to become of the Crystal Palace?' The building had become so popular...
The rebuilding at Sydenham, 1852-1854
The Hyde Park Crystal Palace building was purchased by the Crystal Palace Company for £70,000 (over £3.5 million today) from Fox & Henderson and on 5th August 1852 rebuilding began. During a time of high unemployment the project provided jobs for over 7,000 workmen. On Monday 15th August...
Bankruptcy, 1909
Disaster and misfortune were always associated with the Palace. The first major disaster was in 1861 when the building was badly damaged in a gale. The first major fire was on 30th December 1866 when the north transept containing among other areas the Alhambra, Assyrian, Byzantine Courts, and...
Disaster strikes, 1936
In 1914 a charitable trust under the control of the Ministry of Education was formed and the trustees hired Henry James Buckland (lately Manager of Harrogate Spa) as the Manager of the Crystal Palace. He was a firm but fair man who had a great love for the Crystal Palace - so much so that he...
Crystal Palace Timeline 1913 - 2005
1909Crystal Palace Company declared bankrupt
1913
Suggested use of the building as a museum.
1914
Crystal Palace and grounds now run by a charitable trust
November 1927
Suggested use of the gardens as a zoological garden.
December 1927
Suggested use of the grounds as a dog racing...
In Remembrance
On April 29th 1922 three young children - the eldest not more than seven years old - moved through a huge crowd which had gathered in Upper Norwood. Each child placed three daffodils - the stems covered with brown tissue paper - in memory of their 'Dear Daddy'.The occasion was the unveiling of...
Raising the first Pillar at Sydenham, 1852
The Times 6 August 1852 Page 5 Col. AAt Half-past 2 o’clock the visitors, guided by a programme which had been delivered to them, assembled round the spot where the first pillar of the palace was to be planted; and shortly afterwards a procession advanced, proceeded and marshalled by Mr...
Open again, 1854
It was intended to open the building on 1st May 1854 but because of constructional and financial problems it opened over a month late on 10th June. Another significant problem that contributed to the late opening was the fact that dozens of male statues throughout the building had to have their...
Map of Crystal Palace Park 1911
When the Knight Frank & Rutley Sales Catalogue was sold originally it came with a large (40"x50") colour map of Crystal Palace Park in a brown envelope.The story behind the catalogue and map.
When the Crystal Palace Company was declared bankrupt in 1911 the famous auctioneers Knight Frank...
Change of ownership, 1951
On the 1st August 1951 the Crystal Palace Trust was dissolved and responsibility for Crystal Palace Park passed into the hands of the London County Council and eventually to the Greater London Council. Much work was done by LCC/GLC staff in the Park to maintain the terraces, subway, and...Raffaele Monti sculpture archive
Raffaele Monti (1818-1881) created many of the sculptures that graced the Crystal Palace and its Park, at Sydenham, and a talent for which he is especially renowned is his ability to convey the illusion of transparency in veiled marble figures.Above: a stereo photograph from the International...
More Articles
- Crystal Palace (Low-Level) Railway Station
- Crystal Palace Aquarium Co Ltd
- History of the Crystal Palace (part 1)
- History of the Crystal Palace (part 2)
- Acts of Parliament covering the Sydenham Crystal Palace and grounds 1853 - 1990
- Crystal Palace Royal Charters
- The complete guide to crystal palaces
- Water colour pop-up card