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Description: | Crystal Palace stands on Sydenham Hill, the highest point in south London, so was visible for miles around.
The steel and glass building was originally designed by Joseph Paxton in the mid-19th century. It had two 300-feet (91-metre) water towers at either end, built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel to supply the numerous fountains.
Crystal Palace aimed to show the best in British culture, and cultures from round the world, to inform and entertain the masses. The British Empire Exhibition in 1911 was held here, but from then on Crystal Palace's fortunes declined. It was used as a barracks during the First World War.
In 1936 the whole structure burnt to the ground. The fire was probably started by faulty wiring. Although the building is no longer there, it gave its name to the surrounding area. | Format: | image/jpeg | Publisher: | London Transport Museum | Rights holder: | London Transport Museum collection | Subjects: | Leisure Cityscape Art and Design | Temporal: | 1920-1936 | Source: | London Transport Museum | Identifier: | http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/rser... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | image/jpeg | Go to resource |
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