Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort, set up a committee to organise exhibitions with the aim of improving British industrial design. This led to the first truly international exhibition 'The Great Exhibition', which was held in Joseph Paxton's Crystal Palace at Hyde Park, in the Summer of 1851. Opened by the Queen on 1st May, six million people flocked to see over 100,000 exhibits from around the world.

Upon entering visitors would have been struck by the size and structural perfection of the building that met their eyes. As they went through the doors they would have been overwhelmed by the height of the iron and glass transept which rose 108ft (33m) above their heads, encasing fully grown Elm trees, adding to the impression that they were in a vast green house.

This fascinating sketch shows scaffolding, which was the first stage of building the Crystal Palace. It is important to note that to people of that era, this was an engineering wonder.