The
Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or
The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the
Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in
Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 11 October 1851. It was the first in a series of
World's Fair exhibitions of
culture and
industry that became popular in the 19th century and was a much anticipated event. The Great Exhibition was organized by
Henry Cole and
Prince Albert, husband of the reigning monarch,
Queen Victoria. It was attended by numerous notable figures of the time, including
Charles Darwin,
Samuel Colt, members of the
Orléanist Royal Family and the writers
Charlotte Brontë,
Charles Dickens,
Lewis Carroll,
George Eliot and
Alfred Tennyson. Music for the opening was under the direction of Sir
George Thomas Smart and the continuous music from the exhibited organs for the Queen's procession was "under the superintendence of
William Sterndale Bennett".