The Crystal Palace

The Crystal Palace

The year 1851 is known as the year in which Great Britain was believed to be the principal of the industrial revolution. To illustrate this success The Great Exhibition of 1851 was apprehended in London. In order to make sure that every technological achievement was clearly shown, it was decided that the exhibit was to be made international by extending its invitations to the major part of the colonised world. The predominating attitude in England at the time was enriched with pompous demonstrations of capabilities. During the mid-1850s, the word "Victorian" began to be used to symbolise a new modesty, in relation to the nation as well as to the time phase through which it was passing.

The Crystal Palace itself was almost transcended by the park in which it stood. Hyde park contained a sublime series of fountains, encompassing almost 12,000 individual jets. The biggest of them was able to throw water up to a height of 250ft.

The park also contained exceptional collections of statues, mostly being replicas of works from all over the world. A geological display was also found in Crystal Palace where a copy of a lead mine was present, together with the first pursuits anywhere in the world to depict life-size reformations of extinct animals, including dinosaurs. Crystal Palace park was also the scene of astonishing Brock's fireworks displays.

On November 30th 1936, fire hit the Crystal Palace itself, demolishing it in the process. As a consequence, the focus of that area was lost. however,  the largest part of important events in the Crystal Palace’s history occurred in the grounds, which possess much of their original blueprint today. Hence, for 140 years, Crystal Palace park has been the scene of countless inputs to the nation's social, scientific and sporting history.

Inner view of the inside of the Crystal Palace.

                       

Outer view of the Crystal Palace.

William Morris 

William Morris was born on March 24th 1834 and died on October 3rd 1896. He was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement.

Morris had trained as an architect and had early ambitions to be a painter. While at the University of Oxford he encountered Edward Burne-Jones who was an artist.  By this friendship Morris came to know the Pre-Raphaelite painters, one of which was Rossetti.Morris lived in Bexleyheath, Kent together with his wife Jane Burden whom he had married in 1859. Jane was uniquely beautiful and cherished amongst the pre-Raphaelites. Upon marrying Jane, Morris promptly instructed his friend, also an architect Philip Webb, in order to build them a new home. Webb agreed and gave Morris a modern home, being “very medieval in spirit” just as the latter had wanted.
The success of Morris’  friends’ efforts in helping him design his home motivated them to start their own company. Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. was the name given to their company and it was rooted at 8 Red Lion Square in London in April 1861. This company was the mind behind a vast range of products namely embroidery, tableware and furniture, stained glass and tiles. He fought against the ´inhuman` conditions of mass production. He founded the arts and Crafts Movement and reformed commercial art, the return to hand crafted house hold products. Designed Textiles by William Morris 

A Portrait of William Morris

                                         Designed Textiles by William Morris . The Acanthus Leaf

 

Designed Textiles by William Morris, unfinished flower patterns.

Referencing :

V&A. 2013. Biography of William Morris. [ONLINE] Available at: httpy://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/biography-of willam-morris. [Accessed 08 November 13]

Victorian Station. 1999. Victorian Station. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.victorianstation.com/palace.html. [Accessed 08 November 13]. 

The Esquire Theme . 2012. Morris Prints . [ONLINE] Available at: http://lamachineahabiter.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/morris-prints/. [Accessed 18 December 13].