A. N. Wilson: The Wise and Their Works - The Legacy of the Great Exhibition of 1851 (Livestream)

Historian A.N. Wilson takes us on a journey into the heart of the progressive Victorian dream, and where it has left us today.

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+44 (0)20 7942 2000
  • Thursday, 15 October 2026

  • Online

  • For Members

    and general public; general booking will open on 17 August, subject to availability

  • Tickets cost £8.00

A. N. Wilson: The Wise and Their Works - The Legacy of the Great Exhibition of 1851  (Livestream) photo
The eminent figures who inspired the Great Exhibition of 1851 – from Henry Cole, who went on to become the V&A’s first Director, to Sir Robert Peel and Prince Albert – were at the centre of an extraordinary combination of manufacturing, commercial skill and political vision.

Join award-winning author and historian A. N. Wilson in celebration of the 175th anniversary of the Great Exhibition for a journey into the heart of the progressive Victorian dream, and its ongoing legacy, including creating the little known but highly influential Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, which led to the establishment of today’s South Kensington cultural quarter.

This talk will be held on Zoom and all ticketholders will receive a link to view the morning of the event. The talk will also be recorded and availalble for viewing for three months, for those not able to join live. 
Header image: 'The Royal Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1851', oil painting, by Henry Wyndham Phillips, about 1850, Britain. Museum no. P.112-1920. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London