The Great Exhibition opened in London in 1851. Officially called the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, it opened in Hyde Park on 1 May and ran until 15 October.
The exhibition was housed in Joseph Paxton’s vast Crystal Palace, an innovative structure made largely from cast-iron components and glass. Prince Albert and Henry Cole were among its leading organisers, and the event was designed to showcase industrial technology, manufacturing, design, and cultural achievements from Britain and countries around the world.
More than six million people visited—about a third of Britain’s population at the time. Exhibits included machinery, manufactured goods, fine art, raw materials, and the Koh-i-Noor diamond. The event generated a surplus that helped support institutions including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum, and the Natural History Museum.
The year is sometimes confused with later world’s fairs, such as the Paris Exposition of 1867. The Crystal Palace itself was later dismantled, rebuilt at Sydenham Hill in south London, and destroyed by fire in 1936.