LONDON, ENGLAND.- A set of 47 rare photographs of Crystal Palace taken in 1859 have been made available online by English Heritage and the London Development Agency to mark the 150 th anniversary of the Palace’s re-opening in Sydenham in 1854. The pictures display the grandeur and beauty of Crystal Palace almost 70 years after it was burnt down.

Experts at the National Monuments Record, the public archive of English Heritage, spent three months researching, cataloguing and digitising the photographs, so that they can be made available online to the widest possible audience. They show early scenes of the Palace in use, including images of its famous Egyptian court. Previously in private hands, these photos were purchased by English Heritage in August this year at an auction in Swindon with financial support from the London Development Agency and the Crystal Palace Foundation.

They represent the most extensive and detailed photographic documentation of the Palace during the years immediately following its rebuilding at Sydenham. They were taken by Philip Henry Delamotte, a renowned pioneering photographer of the period.

Nigel Clubb, Director of the National Monuments Record, commented: “ Crystal Palace is one of the most famous and important lost buildings of the 19th century. We wanted to make sure that this rare set of images was preserved and made available to everybody. The historical significance and architectural merits of a place with such a colourful history need to be kept alive in public memory

LDA Executive Director of Regeneration and Development Tony Winterbottom said: “These photos are a tremendous asset and highlight just why Crystal Palace was London ’s premier tourist attraction. The LDA has been consulting over the future of Crystal Palace Park and its sports facilities and the strength of response shows how important the park still is to so many people.”

One of Britain ’s most admired architectural spaces of the Victorian era, Crystal Palace was originally built in Hyde Park , London , for the Great Exhibition of 1851. After that it was dismantled and re-erected in Sydenham, South London , using twice the amount of glass as the original version to create ‘a perfect cosmos – a brilliant illustration of all that is noble and elevating in the world’. It was an extremely popular resort for Londoners and the nation, playing host to a number of dignitaries including members of the British royal family, Napoleon III, Garibaldi and the Shah of Persia, and providing the venue for entertainment including FA Cup Finals! The Palace was completely burnt down in 1936.