This volume covers one of the most influential buildings of the 19th century. Joseph Paxton's Crystal Palace was the first public building to omit references to the past. Amid the historicist debates and battle of the styles of mid-19th-century Britain, Paxton's design was rational and straightforward.

Tallis' book, published in 1852, gives a vibrant account of the Great Exhibition, a key event of the Victorian period.

Tallis' book, published in 1852, gives a vibrant account of the Great Exhibition, a key event of the Victorian period.