Encore: Embalming as a Fine Art Conspicuously Absent from The Great Exhibition: 1851

Mrs Daffodil Digresses

The Crystal Palace

It was on this day in 1851 that Her Majesty Queen Victoria opened the Great Exhibition. Here is an encore post relating some of the delicate decisions taken and difficulties surmounted by the selection committee.

RECALLING A FAMOUS ENGLISH EXHIBITION

By Frederick Owen

The talk about the exhibition at Wembley, England, turns one’s mind to some of the big shows of the past, especially to that of 1851, which was held in Hyde Park, London, and to humourous recollection of a man who was at that time quite young, and served as secretary to the selection committee. He it was who, in faultless handwriting, “returned with thanks.” They were courteous little letters of course and showed no trace of the chuckles with which they were often punctuated.

   In his power to see the funny side of his job, he was quite alone. The hardworked committee unfortunately…

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