On the 1st day of May in 1851, The Great Exhibition opened at the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London. Sir Joseph Paxton was an English botanist and architect who designed the enormous 19-acre Crystal Palace where the Great Exhibition took place. Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert was the brain work behind this world wide exhibition that was designed to prove a showcase for the “world’s most advanced inventions, manufactures and works of art” (BBC History, 2014) at the time. Although Prince Albert was the driving force behind this event, equal amount of praise for organizing the remarkable event is owed to Henry Cole, as well. Henry Cole held the day job of an assistant record keeper at the Public Records Office, although his résumé also consisted of writing, editing and publishing journals. As a council member of the Society of Arts In 1846, Henry Cole was introduced to Prince Albert whereas, together, they received a Royal Carter for the society and then changed its name to the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce. The society held relatively small sized exhibitions to consistently promote their cause, the government of their day held little interest in the concept of an exhibition though Henry and Albert continued to develop their idea. They intended it to be for All Nations, the greatest collection of art in industry, “for the purpose of exhibition of competition and encouragement” (Historic UK, 2019) while also generating enough income to finance itself. The Great Exhibition included every prodigy of the Victorian era such as pottery, ironwork, furniture, perfumes, pianos, firearms, fabrics, hydraulic presses and even the odd house or two. The original aim of the event was to celebrate the art in industry for the benefit of All Nations, though it happened to be more of a showcase for British manufacturing as more than half the 100,000 exhibits displayed with from Britain or the British Empire. In addition to the successful event, the opening of the Great Exhibition had coincidentally occurred during the same time as another great innovation of the Industrial Revolution. The massive amounts of people who came to visit the Great Exhibition used the new railway lines that opened in 1850, which had nearly 7,000 miles of track linking London with the towns throughout the country of the Midlands and the North. Spanning five summer months from May 1st, 1851 – October 15th, 1851 and attracting nearly six million visitors through the crystal palace doors, Britain had advertised a message to the rest of the world. The Great Exhibition aimed to exceed their superiority that their exhibition must be bigger and better than anything France could organize, while also marking the peak of British economic dominance. The Great Exhibition symbolized the success and achievement that Britain had after the Industrial Revolution & that they were to become a prevailing 19th century constituent.
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Blog Post – Music Review
In 1960 out of the city of Liverpool, England, the global cynosure band of four formed and began what would soon become one of the most influential and impacting British rock bands to ever walk this planet. Being one of the most popular band of all time, The Beatles were a English rock band that had a significant influence on the 60s popular culture. Making their debut in America, the media claimed this integration between the two nations the “British Invasion”, which had a lasting impact on this era of rock n’ roll. Paul McCartney was the face of The Beatles, known for his ability to blend the two aspects of commercial art and creative music to derive music that was unique and irresistible. In the middle of a decade full of political and social strife, The Beatles provided a their contemporaries for peace, love and rock n’ roll with a hint of rebellion. Paul McCartney was born in 1942, & developed a lifelong love affair for music early on, teaching himself to learn multiple instruments by ear such as the Spanish guitar, trumpet and piano. Being a co-founder of the Beatles, John Lennon was a brilliant songwriter, singer, artist and outspoken political peace activist. John Lennon dropped out of college to pursue his passion for music, he formed the Quarrymen which featured Paul McCartney and George Harrison and eventually formed into what’s better known as the Beatles. Together, Paul McCartney and John Lennon were musical artist that formed a much-celebrated songwriting partnership. Ringo Starr later joined the Beatles as their drummer and was well known for amplifying his great heart and sole, wit and wisdom into his drumming talents. One of the worlds brightest musical influences, Ringo Starr was a successful drummer, singer, songwriter, collaborator and producer who has released 18 solo studio albums to date. The Beatles then joined forces with George Harrison who was a film producer who achieved international face as the Beatles lead guitarist. The Beatles were the most famous celebrities of their day and the most successful songwriters of their age, while ultimately being the most beloved band of all time. The Beatles had a profound impact and still continued to influence generations, not only were they the most creative single force to ever hit popular music but they also forever positively altered the way that music is made.
Blog Post – British Economy
The industrialized country of England is the largest economy of all countries in the United Kingdom. Contributing the the GDP in the United Kingdom, its strong suits and driving factors are services, manufacturing, construction & tourism. Before the 18th century, England was mainly an agricultural economy until the Industrial Revolution occurred where it then progressed into a highly urbanized and industrial region of the 18th and 19th century. England transformed into a heavy manufacturing powerhouse; distributing iron, steel, textiles & shipbuilding etc. When the Great Depression hit in the 1930s, foreign competition led to a decline in the production of goods, therefore increasing unemployment throughout the country. The country then recovered by adapting more automotive, chemical, electrical and machine tool manufacturers as the leading industries. In the 20th century, population and urban growth increased and let to a significant decrease in the amount of acreage of farms in England. Despite all the industrial growth over the past three centuries, there are still some countries that continue to maintain heavily agricultural to this day. In 2018, the United Kingdom held a booming gross domestic product (GDP) of $2.8 trillion with a population measured at 66 million. The United Kingdom uses what is called the British Pound, 100 pence makes up £1 pound and a pound it roughly equal to the value of the US dollar. With a diverse economy, the quality of life is considered to be measurably high while the unemployment rate currently stands at 7.6% and continues to maintain an upward growing economy.
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