'Interior of The Crystal Palace' Original Hand-Coloured Lithograph by Augustus Butler (1855)

'Interior of the Crystal Palace' (1855) by lithographer, Augustus Butler (active 1840 - 1860), fine rare lithograph with original hand colour. Published by Stannard & Dixon, Poland Street, London. Newly framed with mount under glass. In very good vintage condition.

In 1851 Britain trumpeted its technical supremacy by staging the Great Exhibition. The exhibition was planned by Prince Albert, and was based in the Crystal Palace built in London's Hyde Park. The exhibition building was vast, and had an area of 69 892 sq m (772 289 sq ft). The amount of glass in the building lead the magazine, Punch, to nickname the building the Crystal Palace, and that name stuck. When the exhibition closed the palace was taken down and rebuilt near Sydenham in London, but it later burnt down in 1936. However, the building's name lived on and that area of South London is now known as Crystal Palace.

About the Artist: Augustus Butler was a lithographer and zincographer, mostly active between 1840 - 1860, mainly of landscape views after contemporary artists. He made two lithographs for Charles James Richardson’s ‘Studies of Ornamental Design’ in 1848. Butler also worked with William Gauci to produce lithographs for the publication ‘The Mansions of England and Wales’ (London, 1850), written by Edward Twycross.

Dimensions with frame:

H  51 cm

W  62 cm

Dimensions without frame:

H  39

W  50