To Serve and Project: A Souvenir of the Great Exhibition, 1851

This beautiful transfer-printed plate comes alive from the use of underglaze colors, depicting an interior view of the sculpture court of the 1851 Exhibition Building.  The top of the plate is inscribed “INTERIOR VIEW OF THE CRYSTAL PALACE."  The border is painted green with a gilt edge and scrolling adornment.

The Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations-- known more commonly as the Great Exhibition--took place in London from May 1 to October11, 1851 and served as a regal spectacle showcasing the manufactures wares of more than thirty British Colonies, allowing a celebration of the commercial and artistic wealth of Britain.  The location itself was a triumph of British skill  and ingenuity--Joseph Paxton’s revolutionary glass building; the Crystal Palace.

This plate was one of many items produced for the months-long event, intended as an affordable souvenir which could be purchased by any of the millions of visitors to the Exhibition.   It has been preserved in the Victoria & Albert Museum along with a good many of the actual items displayed in the Crystal Palace.  

Painting of the Day: The Queen Lunching with The Emperor and Empress of the French, 1855

The Queen Lunching with the Emperor and Empress of the French at the Crystal Palace
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
via The Royal Collection Trust
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Click Image to Enlarge

Entitled, The Queen lunching with the Emperor and Empress of the French at the Crystal Palace, 20 April 1855:, this watercolor is the work of Louis Haghe (1806-1885).

The scene depicts the lavish luncheon room at the Crystal Palace at Sydenham. Her Majesty Queen Victoria is seated with the Emperor on her right.  Opposite them are the French Empress and Prince Albert. 

The piece is signed, dated and inscribed "L. Haghe. 1855".

To Serve and Project: A Souvenir of the Great Exhibition, 1851

This beautiful transfer-printed plate comes alive from the use of underglaze colors, depicting an interior view of the sculpture court of the 1851 Exhibition Building.  The top of the plate is inscribed “INTERIOR VIEW OF THE CRYSTAL PALACE."  The border is painted green with a gilt edge and scrolling adornment.

The Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations-- known more commonly as the Great Exhibition--took place in London from May 1 to October11, 1851 and served as a regal spectacle showcasing the manufactures wares of more than thirty British Colonies, allowing a celebration of the commercial and artistic wealth of Britain.  The location itself was a triumph of British skill  and ingenuity--Joseph Paxton’s revolutionary glass building; the Crystal Palace.

This plate was one of many items produced for the months-long event, intended as an affordable souvenir which could be purchased by any of the millions of visitors to the Exhibition.   It has been preserved in the Victoria & Albert Museum along with a good many of the actual items displayed in the Crystal Palace.  

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Papier-Mâché Folder from The Crystal Palace, 1851

Click image to enlarge.

Souvenir of the Great Exhibition
Jennens and Bettridge, 1851
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A folder like this one, made of papier-mâché, would have been made as a decorative way to contain note or blotting paper. Items such as these folder perfectly lent themselves to being made as souvenirs or commemorative objects which would have been both affordable and useful.

This one dates to 1851 and was made as a souvenir of the Great Exhibition. The front of the notebook is set with a view of the Crystal Palace which has been reverse-painted under glass. The reverse of the painting has been silvered which serves to turn the painting into a mirror and affords a certain sparkle to the Crystal Palace—replicating how the massive glass structure must have really looked when reflected in the sunlight.

The folder itself is crafted of japanned papier-mâché which has been decorated with mother-of-pearl roses—a technique popularized around 1772 when Henry Clay of Birmingham invented a new method of manufacturing japanned items in the Chinoiserie style. Clay’s method involved the pressing of sheets of heat-resisting paper into wooden moulds. The resulting object was smoothed, providing a warp-free surface ideal for japanning—a decorating technique wherein pigment is suspended in a varnish medium in an imitation of oriental lacquer. Inlay of mother-of-pearl had long been the favored adornment for these pieces. By 1825, the firm had patented this inlay technique. And, soon, the Asian-inspired scenes gave way to decidedly Western themes of flowers, castles, landscapes, animals and naturalistic patterns.

This is just one of the many different papier-mâché articles which were offered as souvenirs of the Crystal Palace. It was made by Jennens and Bettridge, who had bought Clay's factory in 1816. The duo also had one of the main displays at the Great Exhibition—showcasing their wares and directing people to their souvenirs. 

The Home Beautiful: A Papier-Mâché Folder from The Crystal Palace, 1851

Click image to enlarge.

Souvenir of the Great Exhibition
Jennens and Bettridge, 1851
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A folder like this one, made of papier-mâché, would have been made as a decorative way to contain note or blotting paper. Items such as these folder perfectly lent themselves to being made as souvenirs or commemorative objects which would have been both affordable and useful.

This one dates to 1851 and was made as a souvenir of the Great Exhibition. The front of the notebook is set with a view of the Crystal Palace which has been reverse-painted under glass. The reverse of the painting has been silvered which serves to turn the painting into a mirror and affords a certain sparkle to the Crystal Palace—replicating how the massive glass structure must have really looked when reflected in the sunlight.

The folder itself is crafted of japanned papier-mâché which has been decorated with mother-of-pearl roses—a technique popularized around 1772 when Henry Clay of Birmingham invented a new method of manufacturing japanned items in the Chinoiserie style. Clay’s method involved the pressing of sheets of heat-resisting paper into wooden moulds. The resulting object was smoothed, providing a warp-free surface ideal for japanning—a decorating technique wherein pigment is suspended in a varnish medium in an imitation of oriental lacquer. Inlay of mother-of-pearl had long been the favored adornment for these pieces. By 1825, the firm had patented this inlay technique. And, soon, the Asian-inspired scenes gave way to decidedly Western themes of flowers, castles, landscapes, animals and naturalistic patterns.

This is just one of the many different papier-mâché articles which were offered as souvenirs of the Crystal Palace. It was made by Jennens and Bettridge, who had bought Clay's factory in 1816. The duo also had one of the main displays at the Great Exhibition—showcasing their wares and directing people to their souvenirs. 

To Serve and Project: A Souvenir of the Great Exhibition, 1851

This beautiful transfer-printed plate comes alive from the use of underglaze colors, depicting an interior view of the sculpture court of the 1851 Exhibition Building.  The top of the plate is inscribed “INTERIOR VIEW OF THE CRYSTAL PALACE."  The border is painted green with a gilt edge and scrolling adornment.

The Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations-- known more commonly as the Great Exhibition--took place in London from May 1 to October11, 1851 and served as a regal spectacle showcasing the manufactures wares of more than thirty British Colonies, allowing a celebration of the commercial and artistic wealth of Britain.  The location itself was a triumph of British skill  and ingenuity--Joseph Paxton’s revolutionary glass building; the Crystal Palace.

This plate was one of many items produced for the months-long event, intended as an affordable souvenir which could be purchased by any of the millions of visitors to the Exhibition.   It has been preserved in the Victoria & Albert Museumalong with a good many of the actual items displayed in the Crystal Palace.