The Crystal Palace being dismantled

Photograph showing the dismantling of The Crystal Palace

The Crystal Palace, built to house the Great Exhibition of 1851, was a pioneering example of British design and engineering. It was constructed entirely from mass-produced, pre-fabricated parts made of glass and iron, and was designed by Joseph Paxton. After the closure of the Exhibition it was dismantled: this photograph of 1852 (by P.H. Delamotte) shows the start of the dismantling process. Two years later it was re-erected at Sydenham (south London), where it remained until destroyed by fire in 1936.