The Great Exhibition is to open in May 1851 and millions of people will descend on the capital to marvel at exhibitions of culture and industry. Victorian engineering and determination will transform one million square feet of glass into the Crystal Palace in London’s Hyde Park in just five months, ready to house the wares of the world. 

However, this celebration of progress also exposed the stark inequalities of Victorian society, as the wealthy of West London contemplated the arrival of vast crowds from the impoverished East End. Fears of social upheaval stirred, echoing the anxieties surrounding the Chartist movement and the revolutions sweeping Europe. Discover the extraordinary measures taken to manage these anxieties, from the deployment of an additional thousand police officers to the subtle surveillance by specially appointed guides. 

Join Sarah Churchwell and David Olusoga to discuss the Great Exhibition, and whether it was a unifying moment for the nation, or did it serve to highlight the chasm between the privileged and the poor?

To find out more about Find My Past visit: https://www.findmypast.co.uk/journey-through-time

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Assistant Producer: Alice Horrell

Producer: Callum Hill

Senior Producer: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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