Recollections of the Great Exhibition

Art Historical Context

**Recollections of the Great** (1851) is a stunning portfolio of hand-colored lithographs that captures the grandeur of London's Crystal Palace during the world's first international exhibition. Produced by a collaborative team of artists—including John Absolon, Edwin Thomas, Walter Goodall, Pigeon Clark, William Tel, and Thomas Harrington Wilsonalong with publishers Lloyd Brothers Co., Day & Son, Ltd., and Simpkin, Marshall &., this set preserves vivid scenes of the event. Housed in an elegant red cloth-covered portfolio measuring about 24 x 18 inches, the prints feature bustling crowds, fluttering flags, and sparkling fountains, evoking the excitement of the occasion. The Great Exhibition of 1851, opened on May 1 under Prince Albert's patronage, drew over six million visitors to showcase industrial marvels from around the globe. Published just months later on September 1, these lithographs served as cherished souvenirs, allowing people to relive the spectacle at home. Lithography, a precise printing technique invented decades earlier, enabled detailed reproductions, while hand-coloring added lifelike vibrancy to the mounted card stock prints. Today, this portfolio in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department highlights 19th-century printmaking's role in democratizing art and memory. It reminds us how visual records bridged the gap between monumental public events and personal recollection, celebrating human ingenuity in an era of rapid progress.

About the Artist

Lloyd Brothers & Co.|Day & Son, Ltd., London|John Absolon|Edwin Thomas Dolby|Walter Goodall|Henry Pigeon Clark|William Telbin|Thomas Harrington Wilson|Simpkin, Marshall & Co. (British|British|British) · 1800 |1850 |1815 –2900 |1867 |1895

London| |British, London 1815–1895