MAY 1 - The Great Exhibition

On this day in 1851, Queen Victoria opened The Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, London. The Great Exhibition was organized by Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, Henry Cole, and other members of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce as a celebration of modern industrial technology and design. The Great Exhibition was held in the temporary structure known as the Crystal Palace from May 1 to October 15 1851. It was the first in a series of World’s fairs and exhibitions of culture and industry that became popular throughout the next century. While The Great Exhibition was a platform for countries all over the world to display their achievements, Britain hoped to show their superiority and to proved the world with hope of a better future. 6 million people visited The Great Exhibition, including Queen Victoria and her family who visited 3 times. The average daily attendance was more than 42, 000 peaking at more than 109,000 on 7 October. The event made a surplus equal to about £18,370,000 ($23,963,665) in 2015. This money was used to found the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum, and the Natural History Museum. The remaining surplus was used to set up an educational trust which continues to this day.

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