My new post for the Pandora Society features such diverse elements as The Crystal Palace, Winnie the Pooh, Queen Victoria, and Jack the Ripper.
You can read it here: Geared Toward Speculative Fiction
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The Crystal Palace: Victorian Era Science, Technology, & Industry at its Best
The Crystal Palace, a giant glass and iron exhibition hall built in Hyde Park, housed the 1851 Great Exhibition of The Works of Industry of All Nations. Many consider this remarkable structure to be one of the touchstones of Victorian England—an intrinsic part of the cultural system that both shaped and reflected the nation’s values. Sir Joseph Paxton’s design made such an impact in the field of architecture that replicas of the structure were built in Spain and the United States. Yet such were mainstream British attitudes toward foreign influence during the Victorian era that the construction of The Crystal Palace, and the Great Exhibition, almost didn’t occur.
