Request to view

This object can be requested via email from the Prints & Drawings Study Room

The Alhambra Court

Photograph
1854 (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry for all Nations was closed on the 11th October 1851. The building was bought by the Crystal Palace Company and reconstructed at huge expense at Sydenham, on the outskirts of London, in 1854. A further two storeys were added to the original three used at Hyde Park and the building became much longer. Experts such as Matthew Digby Wyatt and Owen Jones were hired to create and design new courts for the interior. They travelled the world making plaster casts of significant sculptures, monuments and architectural features. Each court illustrated a particular period in the history of art. They were arranged in chronological order around the outside of the building.

Philip Henry Delamotte, who took this picture of the Alhambra Court, photographed the reconstruction of the Crystal Palace between 1851 and 1854. The court was designed by Owen Jones using the extensive studies he had made previously of the famous palace in Spain.

Delve deeper

Discover more about this object
read Owen Jones and the Grammar of Ornament Owen Jones (1809 – 74) was a versatile architect and designer, and one of the most influential design theorists of the 19th century. In his search for a unique modern style, Jones looked to the Islamic world for inspiration.

Object details

Category
Object type
TitleThe Alhambra Court (generic title)
Materials and techniques
albumen print from collodion negative
Brief description
19thC; Delamotte P.H, The Alhambra Court, Crystal Palace
Physical description
Photograph
Dimensions
  • Height: 230mm
  • Width: 280mm
Pasted to sheet 268 x 332mm.
Object history
One of 43 photographs by Delamotte of the Crystal Palace at Sydenham (opened 1854).
Place depicted
Summary
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry for all Nations was closed on the 11th October 1851. The building was bought by the Crystal Palace Company and reconstructed at huge expense at Sydenham, on the outskirts of London, in 1854. A further two storeys were added to the original three used at Hyde Park and the building became much longer. Experts such as Matthew Digby Wyatt and Owen Jones were hired to create and design new courts for the interior. They travelled the world making plaster casts of significant sculptures, monuments and architectural features. Each court illustrated a particular period in the history of art. They were arranged in chronological order around the outside of the building.

Philip Henry Delamotte, who took this picture of the Alhambra Court, photographed the reconstruction of the Crystal Palace between 1851 and 1854. The court was designed by Owen Jones using the extensive studies he had made previously of the famous palace in Spain.
Collection
Accession number
39315

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJuly 1, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest