The Wise and Their Works celebrates the 175th anniversary of the Great Exhibition in 2026.
The men who inspired the Great Exhibition of 1851 - Henry Cole, Sir Robert Peel and above all Prince Albert himself - were at the centre of an extraordinary combination of manufacturing, commercial skill and political vision which made Victorian Britain an unparalleled success story.
In this celebratory book, A. N. Wilson examines the legacy they left behind: their idealistic beliefs about free trade, decency and parliamentary democracy, and their ultimate vision of the human race at peace with prosperity spreading, while poverty and warfare were consigned to history. While their loftier ambitions may not have come to pass, these enterprising men did leave behind a little known but hugely influential organisation, the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, which still supports industry, science and art in the UK.
Skillfully delving into this rich and fascinating history, Wilson takes us on a journey into the heart of the progressive Victorian dream, and where it has left us today.

- 304 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- CONTENTS
- FOREWORD BY SIR TRISTRAM HUNT
- 1 INTRODUCTORY
- 2 THE SOCIETY OF ARTS
- 3 THE EXHIBITION TAKES SHAPE
- 4 THE CRYSTAL PALACE
- 5 THE FIRST OF MAY
- 6 INSIDE THE CRYSTAL PALACE
- 7 BEGINNINGS OF THE ALBERTOPOLIS
- 8 A SECOND GREAT EXHIBITION
- 9 THE 1862 EXHIBITION
- 10 THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
- 11 THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL AND THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC
- 12 THE END OF COLE
- 13 THE ESHER ERA
- 14 IMPERIAL
- 15 ROBBINS AND BEYOND
- 16 A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- NOTES
- eCopyright
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Yes, you can access The Wise and Their Works by A. N. Wilson in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Art General. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.