“Notwithstanding the enormous masses of people present, there was no vast pressure from the crowds except at the conclusion of the display, when the attempts made to pass through Grosvenor Gate, and the other outlets of the park, were attended with some of those fearful crushes which, somehow or other, appear to be inseparable from a London gathering. The houses of the nobility and others, looking on to the park, were illuminated in splendid style, and conspicuous among the whole of the adjoining mansions was that of Lord Ward, the whole front of the house being literally a blaze of gas jets, formed by lines following the architectural details of the building.”

Being present, I can vouch for the good behaviour of the crowd, also to the general harmlessness of the rocket-sticks, which fell among us in showers. But the light-fingered gentry reaped a great harvest. I, and all our party, lost our scarf-pins, and, on going to Bow Street next day to try and recover mine, a large iron tea-tray full of pins, taken from captured thieves, was brought, and I was told to pick out my own, but I could not find it. The fireworks were made at the Laboratory, Woolwich, and in such profusion that it was said there were enough over for another display.

CHAPTER X.
The Great Exhibition of 1851.

But what has rendered Hyde Park historically immortal is the choice of it as the site of the “Great Exhibition of the Industry of all Nations,” in 1851, an institution which was claimed to have been foreseen by Chaucer, as evidenced by portions scattered at wide intervals over his Book of Fame.[36]

“But as I slepte / me mette I was
Wythin a temple y made of glas
In whyche / there were mo ymages
Of gold / standyng in dyuers stages
And mo ryche tabernacles
And with perle / mo pynnacles
And mo ryche portretures
And quaynt maner of fygures
Of gold werke / than I sawe euer
. . . . . . . . . .
Tho sawe I stonde on thother syde
Strayt doun to the doris wyde
From the deys[37] many a pyler
Of metal that shone not ful cleer
. . . . . . . . . .
Tho gan I loke aboute me and see
That ther come entryng in to the halle
A ryght grete company wyth alle
And that of sondry regyons
Of alle kyns condicions
That dwelle in erthe under the mone
Poure and ryche.
. . . . . . . . . .
But whyche a grete congregacioun
Of folke / as I sawe come aboute
Some wythin and some wythoute
Nas never seen ne shal be ofte.”

The Society of Arts organized a small exhibition of manufactures in 1847, at their rooms, which attracted much attention, so much, indeed, that in 1848 they had an exhibition of pottery, and in 1849 one chiefly of works in the precious metals. These shows were so successful, that it was felt that something should be attempted on a far larger scale, and it is now, I believe, generally conceded that the conception of the Great Exhibition of 1851 was due to Mr. F. Wishaw. Secretary to the Society of Arts. True it is that Prince Albert is generally credited with the idea, but this arose from the fact that he took a leading part in the movement, as President of the Society.

In this capacity he was kept fully informed of what the Society were doing; but immediately after the termination of the Session of 1849 he took the subject under his own personal superintendence. He proceeded to settle the general principles on which the proposed exhibition of 1851 should be conducted, and to consider the mode in which it should be carried out. On the 29th June, 1849, the general outlines of the Exhibition were discussed by his Royal Highness, and a portion of the minutes of a meeting of several members of the Society of Arts, held at Buckingham Palace on the 30th of June, is as follows:—

“His Royal Highness communicated his views regarding the formation of a Great Collection of Works of Industry and Art in London in 1851, for the purpose of exhibition, and of competition and encouragement.