Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level D , Case FF, Shelf 18

1862 International Exhibition, South Kensington, Ground plan, ca. 1861

Design
ca. 1861 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The International Exhibition of 1862 was the successor to the Great Exhibtion of 1851. It took place from May to November on a site adjacent to the Royal Horticultural Gardens and which now houses the Natural History Museum. Captain Francis Fowke (1823-1865) of the Royal Engineers designed and built the building, which consisted of a main structure and two adjoining wings of brick, iron, wood and glass, capped by enormous crystal domes.

There was no open competition for the building commission, probably due to time constraints, but Fowke, an engineer rather than an architect, had experience as a designer for the South Kensington Museum -- though this did not appease critics of the massive building. The halls had ample space for the over 28,000 national and international exhibitions of art and industry, including a picture gallery and space for havy machinery and agricultural machines.

These plans record Fowkes designs for the exhibition.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Title1862 International Exhibition, South Kensington, Ground plan, ca. 1861 (generic title)
Materials and techniques
lithographic ink, paper, pen and ink, pencil, hand written, lithography, drawing
Brief description
Design by Francis Fowke for 1862 International Exhibition, South Kensington: Ground plan, lithographic print with annotations in pencil and ink, ca. 1861
Physical description
Lithographic print on paper of the ground plan of the Exhibition of 1862. Notes, annotations and additions written and drawn in ink and pencil.
Dimensions
  • Height: 39.3cm (03/10/2017)
  • Width: 56.8cm
Production typeDesign
Marks and inscriptions
  • Presented by F.R. Fowke, Esq. (Stamped in black on the bottom right corner)
  • London: Exhibitions. Exhibition of 1862. Ground Plan (Written in ink on bottom left corner of sheet)
  • C.F. Cheffins & Son, Litho. London (Lettered in lower centre of sheet)
  • International Exhibition, 1862. Ground Plan (Lettered in the centre at the top of the sheet)
  • IIaa (Handwritten in black ink at the top of the sheet, in the centre)
  • Architecture: England (Hand written in black ink in top left corner of sheet)
Credit line
Presented by F. Fowkes, 5 September 1905
Subjects depicted
Place depicted
Association
Summary
The International Exhibition of 1862 was the successor to the Great Exhibtion of 1851. It took place from May to November on a site adjacent to the Royal Horticultural Gardens and which now houses the Natural History Museum. Captain Francis Fowke (1823-1865) of the Royal Engineers designed and built the building, which consisted of a main structure and two adjoining wings of brick, iron, wood and glass, capped by enormous crystal domes.

There was no open competition for the building commission, probably due to time constraints, but Fowke, an engineer rather than an architect, had experience as a designer for the South Kensington Museum -- though this did not appease critics of the massive building. The halls had ample space for the over 28,000 national and international exhibitions of art and industry, including a picture gallery and space for havy machinery and agricultural machines.

These plans record Fowkes designs for the exhibition.
Collection
Accession number
PH.2239-1905

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Record createdOctober 2, 2017
Record URL
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