History
Jul 28, 2021
3 minutes
DAVID HORSPOOL
In the summer of 1851, 170 years ago, there was only one destination for the holidaymaker: London, and in particular Hyde Park, where the Great Exhibition was in full swing.
Joseph Paxton’s astonishing Crystal Palace – doodled on a blotter when the original design was failing to inspire confidence – was opened by the Queen and Prince Albert on 1st May.
For ten days, admission cost £1; from then on, it went steadily down until, by June, you could
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