The collection comprises a portfolio of 47 albumen prints of the Crystal Palace, Sydenham Hill, taken by P H Delamotte c.1859 which are presumed to have come from a disbound album, the leather spine of which is now attached to the box in which the prints are housed.
Philip Henry Delamotte (1821-1889) was a photographer and artist who, unusually, combined his expertise in early progress photography with being appointed professor of drawing at King's College, London in 1855; he became chair of fine art in 1879. He was also a watercolour illustrator of many books, and published a manual of photography in 1852.
The set of 47 prints acquired by the NMR represents a large and apparently unique sequence of c.1859, showing mainly interiors of the completed Crystal Palace at Sydenham Hill which was opened by Queen Victoria on 10th June 1854 having been moved from Hyde Park on the closure of the Great Exhibition of 1851. It contrasts with Delamotte's first and best-known set of 1854-1855 taken during the construction of the structure: 160 of these views were published in 'Photographic Views of the Progress of the Crystal Palace, Sydenham' in 1855.
Most of the images depict interiors of the finished Crystal Palace. They show most of the major historical courts and exhibits, including Greek Court, Roman Court, the Pompeian House, Nineveh Court, Statues from the Temple of Abu Simbel, Egyptian Court, Alhambra Court, Court of Christian Art, Medieval Court, Fine Art Courts, Renaissance Court, Elizabethan Court and Italian Court. Surprisingly, perhaps, the more contemporary and industrial courts and exhibits rarely feature, but include the Manchester or Ceramic Court and Sheffield Court.
Of these 47 images only five are exteriors: the Garden Front, terrace and fountains; the rosarium; a view from below the circular basin; and a view of the fountains from the terrace during a visit of 45,000 Foresters.
Initial research indicates that the prints must date between 1855 and 1866 when one of the transepts was destroyed by fire. It is also evident that several years have elapsed since construction given the growth of ivy up many columns. The Foresters visit occurred in 1862.
The albumen prints have been scanned and two sets of prints for routine consultation produced: one a facsimile of the albumen prints (see DLM01/02), the other digitally re-processed to restore and enhance detail now difficult to see in the faded originals (DLM01/01).
Purchased via Dominic Winter Book Auction, Swindon on 25 August 2004 (lot 115). The vendor is currently unknown. A small set of 7 loose prints (lot 116) was originally associated with lot 115 but sub-divided for sale.
The purchase was made with funds from English Heritage, the Crystal Palace Foundation and the London Development Agency.
Source: Historic England Archive
Photographer: Delamotte, Philip Henry
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