Building    From 1854  To 30/11/1936

Crystal Palace

Originally erected in Hyde Park to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. It was on the section south of Rotten Row and east of West Carriage Drive with the mid-point opposite Rutland Gate.  The cast-iron and glass building was then taken down and reconstructed, modified and enlarged, in 1854 at Sydenham Hill in what was then known as Penge Park. The area around then became known as Crystal Palace. In 1936 the Palace burnt down and was not rebuilt. What remains are the terraces, the steps and some sphinxes.  The BBC reported that the UK's first fatal car accident happened at "Dolphin Terrace" at the Crystal Palace in 1896 but we can't discover exactly where that was.

The distinctive curved roof above the central transept, running north-south, was added to the design of the building to enable several elm trees in Hyde Park to be retained within the building rather than felled.  The trees are not there now and were presumably lost to Dutch Elm disease some time 1970-90.  (But London does still have elm trees - see the Londonist article and this pdf with map.)

Some good pictures and quotes at: The Library Time Machine.

Caroline's Miscellany on the model of Crystal Palace - in Paris.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Crystal Palace

Commemorated ati

Crystal Palace fatal accident

{Around an illustration of the Crystal Palace:} The grave beneath this yew tr...

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Crystal Palace workmen's grave

Twelve workmen were killed, but we are unable to find out where the other two...

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HMS Crystal Palace

This trophy was originally placed on the old quarter-deck (presumably constru...

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Sir Joseph Paxton - giant bust

The Carrera marble bust is 8ft high.

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Other Subjects

James Robb Scott

James Robb Scott

Architect. Born Glasgow. Also designed Richmond station. In addition to the information contained in his biography on the Scottish Architects website, he was shown in the April 1891 census as a sc...

Person, Architecture, Scotland

2 memorials
Grapes Tavern

Grapes Tavern

First mentioned in 1842. It occupies the site of the former Christopher Inn. On its northern side it still retains the red brick fronts of several 18th century houses. It has since returned to its ...

Building, Architecture, Food & Drink

1 memorial
Josiah Gunton

Josiah Gunton

Architect. specialist in non-conformist churches.

Person, Architecture

1 memorial
Royal Opera Arcade

Royal Opera Arcade

Designed by John Nash, completed in 1816-18, considered to be London's oldest existing arcade having survived a fire, dereliction and the blitz. See Her Majesty's Theatre for the history of the bui...

Building, Architecture, Commerce

1 memorial
George Vulliamy

George Vulliamy

Architect and civil engineer. George John Vulliamy was the son of the clockmaker Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy and nephew to the architect Lewis Vulliamy. Designed the charming and inventive ironwork alo...

Person, Architecture

1 memorial