The International Exhibition of 1862, officially the London International Exhibition of Industry and Art, also known as the Great London Exposition, was a

world's fair A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a perio ...

held from 1 May to 1 November 1862 in

South Kensington South Kensington is a district at the West End of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with the advent of the ra ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, England. The site now houses museums including the

Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history scientific collection, collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, Fungus, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleo ...

and the

Science Museum A science museum is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, Industry (manufacturing), industry and Outline of industrial ...

Background and overview

After the

Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition that took ...

, held in 1851, had proven to be a huge success, the British Government planned another international exhibition that would surpass both this one and the 1855 Paris Exposition, larger in both size and scale. The intention was to showcase the advances which had since been made in industry, technology, and arts. It was intended to be held in 1861, but was delayed owing to various international events, including the Italian War of Independence and

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

(which caused a shortage of cotton, among other things). The exposition, officially named the London International Exhibition of Industry and Art, was sponsored by the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Trade, and featured over 28,000 exhibitors from 36 countries, representing a wide range of industry, technology, and the arts. William Sterndale Bennett composed music for the opening ceremony. The opening took place on 1 May 1862.

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

, still in mourning for her consort Prince Albert, did not attend; instead her cousin the

Duke of Cambridge Duke of Cambridge is a hereditary title of nobility in the British royal family, one of several royal dukedoms in the United Kingdom. The title is named after the city of Cambridge in England. It is heritable by agnatic, male descendants by pr ...

presided from a throne sited beneath the western dome. An opening address was delivered by the

Earl Granville Earl Granville is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It is now held by members of the Leveson-Gower family. First creation The first creation came in the Pee ...

, chairman of Her Majesty's Commissioners, the group responsible for the organisation of the event.The Exhibition Building of 1862
in Survey of London: Volume 38, South Kensington Museums Area, ed. F H W Sheppard (London, 1975), pp. 137-147, Retrieved 15 February 2016 There were 39 participating countries, and a total of 6,096,617 visitors attended the exhibition. Receipts (£459,632) were slightly above cost (£458,842), leaving a total profit of £790. An official closing ceremony took place on 1 November 1862, but the exhibition remained open to the public until 15 November 1862.

Buildings

The exhibition was held in

, London, on a site covering , and now occupied by the Natural History Museum. The buildings, which occupied , were designed by Captain Francis Fowke of the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

, and built by Lucas Brothers and Sir John Kelk. They took only 11 months to build. They were intended to be permanent, and were constructed in an un-ornamented style with the intention of adding decoration in later years as funds allowed. Much of the construction was of

cast-iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content of more than 2% and silicon content around 1–3%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloying elements determine the form in which its car ...

, 12,000 tons worth, though

façade A façade or facade (; ) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loanword from the French language, French (), which means "frontage" or "face". In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important asp ...

s were brick. Picture galleries occupied three sides of a rectangle on the south side of the site; the largest, with a frontage on the

Cromwell Road Cromwell Road is a major London road in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, designated as part of the A4 road (Great Britain), A4. It was created in the 19th century and is said to be named after Richard Cromwell, son of Oliver Cromwel ...

, was long, high and wide, with a grand triple-arched entrance. Fowke paid particular attention to lighting pictures in a way that would eliminate glare. Behind the picture galleries were the "Industrial Buildings" . These were composed of "

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

s" and "

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

s", lit by tall clerestories, with the spaces in the angles between them filled by glass-roofed courts. Above the brick entrances on the east and west fronts were two great glass domes, each 150 feet wide and 260 feet high - at that time the largest domes ever built. The timber-framed "Machinery Galleries", the only parts of the structure intended to be temporary, stretched further north along Prince Consort Road. Full text easily readable on ebook version. Parliament declined the Government's wish to purchase the building and the materials were sold and used for the construction of

Alexandra Palace Alexandra Palace is an entertainment and sports venue in North London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. A listed building, Grade II listed building, it is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and th ...

Exhibitions

The exhibition was a showcase of the advances made in the

industrial revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

, especially in the decade since the Great Exhibition of 1851. Among the items on display were: *the

electric telegraph Electrical telegraphy is Point-to-point (telecommunications), point-to-point distance communicating via sending electric signals over wire, a system primarily used from the 1840s until the late 20th century. It was the first electrical telecom ...

* submarine cables * the first plastic * Parkesine * machine tools *

loom A loom is a device used to weaving, weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the Warp (weaving), warp threads under tension (mechanics), tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of ...

s * precision instruments *

Charles Babbage Charles Babbage (; 26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer. Babbage is considered ...

's analytical engine *

cotton mill A cotton mill is a building that houses spinning or weaving machinery for the production of yarn or cloth from cotton, an important product during the Industrial Revolution in the development of the factory system. Although some were driven ...

s * maritime engines (made by Henry Maudslay and Humphrys, Tennant and Dykes) * stained-glass windows by French artist Charles-Laurent Maréchal There was also a range of smaller goods including fabrics, rugs, sculptures, furniture, plates, porcelain, silver and glass wares, and wallpaper. The manufacture of ice by an early

refrigerator A refrigerator, commonly shortened to fridge, is a commercial and home appliance consisting of a thermal insulation, thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump (mechanical, electronic or chemical) that transfers heat from its inside to ...

caused a sensation. The work shown by

William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditiona ...

's decorative arts firm of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. attracted much notice. The exposition also introduced the use of caoutchouc for

rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Types of polyisoprene ...

production and the

Bessemer process The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass production of steel from molten pig iron before the development of the open hearth furnace. The key principle is steelmaking, removal of impurities and undesired eleme ...

for steel manufacture. Benjamin Simpson showed photos from the Indian subcontinent. 1862 expo

William England led a team of stereoscopic photographers, which included William Russell Sedgfield and Stephen Thompson, to produce a series of 350 stereo views of the exhibition for the London Stereoscopic Company. The images were made using the new collodion wet plate process which allowed exposure times of only a few seconds. These images provide a vivid three-dimensional record of the exhibition. They were on sale to the public in boxed sets and were delivered to the Queen by messenger so that she could experience the exhibition from her seclusion in mourning. The

London and North Western Railway The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the LNWR was the largest joint stock company in the world. Dubbed the "Premier Line", the LNWR's main line connec ...

exhibited one of their express passenger locomotives, No. 531 ''Lady of the Lake''. A sister locomotive, No. 229 ''Watt'' had famously carried Trent Affair despatches earlier that year, but the ''Lady of the Lake'' (which won a bronze medal at the exhibition) was so popular that the entire class of locomotive became known as ''Ladies of the Lake''. The manufacturing Lilleshall Company exhibited a

2-2-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-2-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, two powered driving wheels on one axle, and two trailing wheels on one axle. The wheel arrangement both ...

express passenger locomotive. There was an extensive art gallery designed to allow an even light without reflection on the pictures. The exhibition also included an international chess tournament, the London 1862 chess tournament. A large tiger skin, from a tiger shot in 1860 by Colonel Charles Reid, was exhibited here. The skin was mounted by Edwin H. Ward and subsequently became "The Leeds Tiger", still on display at

Leeds City Museum Leeds City Museum, established in 1819, is a museum in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Since 2008 it has been housed in the former Mechanics' institute, Mechanics' Institute built by Cuthbert Brodrick, in Cookridge Street (now Millennium Squar ...

, UK.

Music

Unlike the Great Exhibition of 1851, the

Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

chose to have a distinctive musical component to the exhibition of 1862. Music critic Henry Chorley was selected as advisor, and recommended commissioning works by William Sterndale Bennett,

Giacomo Meyerbeer Giacomo Meyerbeer (born Jakob Liebmann Meyer Beer; 5 September 1791 – 2 May 1864) was a German opera composer, "the most frequently performed opera composer during the nineteenth century, linking Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart and Richard Wa ...

Daniel Auber Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (; 29 January 178212 May 1871) was a French composer and director of the Paris Conservatoire. Born into an artistic family, Auber was at first an amateur composer before he took up writing operas professionally whe ...

, and

Gioacchino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...

. Being in his retirement, Rossini declined, so the Society asked

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for List of compositions by Giuseppe Verdi, his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma ...

, who eventually accepted.Verdi, Giuseppe. ''Hymns = Inni.'' Robert Montemorra Marvin, ed., The Works of Giuseppe Verdi, series 4, volume 1, Chicago and Milan: University of Chicago and Ricordi, 2007. William Sterndale Bennett wrote his ''Ode Written Expressly for the Opening of the International Exhibition'' (upon a text by

Alfred, Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (; 6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of ...

), Meyerbeer wrote his ''Fest-Ouvertüre im Marschstil'', and Auber wrote his ''Grand triumphal march''. These three works premiered at the opening of the exhibition on 1 May 1862, with the orchestra led by conductor Prosper Sainton. Controversies involving Verdi's contribution, the cantata '' Inno delle nazioni'', prevented the work from being included in the inaugural concert. It was first performed on 24 May 1862 at

Her Majesty's Theatre His Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated in the Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The building, designed by Charles J. Phipps, was constructed in 1897 for the actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who ...

in a concert organized by James Henry Mapleson. At another concert, the French pianist and composer Georges Pfeiffer created his Second Piano Concerto.Antonio Baldassarre: "Pfeiffer, Georges Jean", in: ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart (MGG)'', biographical part, vol. 13 (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 2005), c. 462. The pianist Ernst Pauer performed daily piano recitals on the stage under the western dome.

Accident

At the opening of the exhibition on 1 May 1862, one of the attending Members of the British Parliament, 70-year-old Robert Aglionby Slaney, fell onto the ground through a gap between floorboards on a platform. He carried on with his visit despite an injured leg, but died from

gangrene Gangrene is a type of tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply. Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, swelling, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly affected. If the ga ...

that set in on the 19th.Slaney was MP for Shrewsbury.

Legacy

The exhibition buildings were dismantled and the materials used to construct Alexandra Palace. The exhibition eclipsed the previous two exhibitions in size and scale, but did not attract as many visitors as aimed for (11 million). Fowke posited the idea of a new museum of

natural history Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

to be built on the former site of the Exhibition Palace in 1864. The idea was taken up by the government, and in 1881 the Natural History Museum was inaugurated. The

and the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

were also built on the exhibition site.

Gallery

File:DV307 no.48 Foreigners over for the great exhibition 1862.png, ''Foreigners over for the great exhibition''. A satirical sketch by Frances Elizabeth Wynne File:1862 international exhibition 03.jpg, 1862 international exhibition, western elevation view File:1862 international exhibition 02.jpg, Penny Guide to the exhibition File:Ross Fountain, Princes Street Gardens.JPG, The Ross Fountain in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

, manufactured in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, an exhibit at the expo File:Hubert fountain 2.jpg, Hubert Fountain in Victoria Park, Ashford,

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

, an exhibit at the expo File:Old Mrs Jamborough. Punch, 14 June 1862.png, Old Mrs Jamborough. '' Punch'', 14 June 1862, satirising the fashion for crinolines popular at the time File:Farcot and Carrier-Belleuse Conical Mystery Clock.jpg, Sculpture of

Urania Urania ( ; ; modern Greek shortened name ''Ránia''; meaning "heavenly" or "of heaven") was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy and astrology. Urania is the goddess of astronomy and stars, her attributes being the globe and compass. T ...

by Carrier-Belleuse atop conical mystery clock by Eugène Farcot, made for the expo File:Taplin Lincoln Traction Engine.png, 16 Horsepower traction engine exhibited by Taplin of Lincoln File:A Silver Vase by Rudolf , Paris.jpg, A silver vase by Rudolf, Paris File:The Perseus and Andromeda cup.jpg, The Perseus and Andromeda cup File:Nymph And Cupid by J. E. Muller.jpg, ''Nymph and Cupid'' by J. E. Muller

References

External links

* "Exhibition in 1862" - Article by H.G. Haward in '' Once a Week'', Series 1, Volume II (1859-1860)
1862 International Exhibition
(sketch of the International Exhibition Building published by

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

)
Images of the 1862 International Exhibition
Science and Society Picture Library
The Exhibition Building of 1862
(from the '' Survey of London: Volume 38: South Kensington Museums Area'' (1975), pp. 137–147) {{Authority control World's fairs in London International Exhibition International Exhibition Festivals established in 1862 19th century in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea