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The steering committee for the Great Exhibition of 1851 turned down all 245 designs submitted for the iconic venue.
Sir Joseph Paxton, a consultant to the Duke of Devonshire, was the man who designed the ‘Crystal Palace,’ the enormous cast iron and glass conservatory that housed the Great Exhibition of 1851 seen by over six million people. Not only was the design groundbreaking, but the way Paxton brought it to the attention of the Building Committee was decidedly modern too.
Posted March 16 2020
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Advice is a dangerous gift, and for centuries our greatest writers have wondered how to dispense it safely.
‘It is always a silly thing to give advice,’ says Erskine in Oscar Wilde’s The Portrait of Mr W. H., ‘but to give good advice is absolutely fatal.’ Back in 1750 the Spectator, founded by Joseph Addison (1672-1719) and Sir Richard Steele (1672-1729), suggested a way to sugar the pill.
Posted March 16 2020
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After Joseph Paxton won the competition to design the venue for the Great Exhibition of 1851, he recalled how his rival had helped him.
In 1851, the Great Exhibition opened in the groundbreaking Crystal Palace, designed by Joseph Paxton (1803-1865). The decision to run with Paxton’s innovative concept was taken at the last minute, and was a disappointment to Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859), who was hoping his Great Dome would become a London landmark. Paxton tells us Brunel behaved like a gentleman throughout.
Posted March 15 2020
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Gertrude Jekyll explains the difference between a garden and a collection of plants.
Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) provided designs for over four hundred gardens across the country, often in collaboration with architect Sir Edward Lutyens (1869-1944). In ‘Colour in the Flower Garden,’ Jekyll explained the difference between a mere collection of plants and a true garden.
Posted March 13 2020
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Gertrude Jekyll throws a tea party for her nine-year-old niece and some very special guests.
Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) liked cats. She kept several of them, and devoted herself and many pages of ‘Home and Garden’ to them. One winter, she threw a little farewell party for her nine-year-old niece following a short stay. The fare was unusual: herring, rice pudding and cream arranged with artistic flair on saucers; but then, the guests were unusual too...
Posted March 13 2020
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Milne felt that chess was a game deserving of its place in the gallery of sports, but also that it had a drawback.
A. A. Milne comes to the defence of chess, arguing that it is game deserving of as much respect as any of the more physically demanding sports. And yet, there is something about it which means that his enthusiasm rarely lasts more than a month or so.
Posted March 11 2020