The Role of International Exhibitions in Britain, 1850–1910: Perc ...

When Cole was again questioned about the chance of success of this venture, he admitted frankly that the effect of this opposition, in conjunction with “the state of indifference of the manufacturing districts rendered failure almost certain.”²⁹ This apparent change of heart produced consternation in government circles. Failure of the event would tarnish the reputation of the Royal family, and the Queen “was naturally uneasy.”³⁰ Lord Granville, president of the Board of Trade,³¹ recommended that a scientist, Lyon Playfair,³² should be appointed to address some of the problems that arose from the internal workings of the Commission and public reaction to the concept. Playfair, who spoke German and had been tutored as a research chemist by Professor Justus von Liebig in Giessen, was employed at the School of Mines.³³ He had to be actively persuaded to take up this new position but soon established a good rapport with the Prince Consort and all the major parties involved. He made an extensive trip around Britain to raise support for the event. He asked business leaders to endorse, and in some cases underwrite, parts of the exhibition, and he also took the opportunity to address the concerns of local parliamentary representatives and civic leaders at the same time. Wemyss Reid suggests that Playfair’s activities soon created enough public support for the Great Exhibition to be funded by private subscription alone.³⁴

The first column of Crystal Palace was laid on September 26, 1850, in Hyde Park. It took only seven months to construct and was finished on schedule. The building measured 851 by 451 feet. It contained enough space for ten miles of exhibition frontage and was capable of accom-modating 40,000 visitors at any given time. Despite ominous weather, the exhibition was opened on May 1, 1851, promptly at noon, in front of 25,000 spectators.³⁵ Technology was the common theme that linked all the exhibits in one way or another. Products were arranged into four distinct categories: Manufacturing, Machinery, Raw Materials, and Fine Arts. The selection of things on display was extraordinary, ranging from an automated device for making cigarettes to steam engines.