A look at New York City's ill-fated Crystal Palace, a beautiful structure built on an abandoned cemetery on the outskirts of town.

In the mid-19th century, a castle of glass stood in the wilds of what is now a bustling part of New York City. It was an answer to a similar Crystal Palace in London, which had hosted an exhibition a couple years before.

The Crystal Palace and the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations was meant to represent American industry and ingenuity, but ended its days as a decrepit symbol of excess and mismanagement before going up in flames. Here's part 1 of its story.

Highlights include: • The story behind how NYC became a tourist destination • Weird inventions like the "mechanical leech" and the "typeographer" • The gardener-architect who built the world's tallest fountain • A sort of mini Eiffel Tower that sprouted up next to the Crystal Palace

For the shownotes, sources, and pics of the Crystal Palace, visit buriedsecretspodcast.com.

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