V&A Archive Research Guide: 19th century international exhibitions

The international exhibitions, expositions and world fairs that dominated the cultural scene in the second half of the 19th century provided nations with opportunities to demonstrate their artistic, technical and scientific ingenuity. These exhibitions supported a broader civilising mission through their juxtaposition of world cultures, their encouragement of trade relations, and their promotion of advances in manufacturing and industry.

Access to the V&A Archive is available by appointment on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11.00 – 16.30 in the National Art Library at V&A South Kensington.

If you would like to make an appointment to view material in the V&A Archive, or have any questions related to it, please contact us: archive@vam.ac.uk

Please note that there is a limit of eight files per appointment.

We recommend providing a minimum of two weeks' notice when booking your appointment.

The records of the Great Exhibition are held by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 at Imperial College London. The Archive can be contacted at: royalcom1851@ic.ac.uk and the catalogue is online.

The V&A's National Art Library holds an extensive collection of printed material relating to the Great Exhibition. This is the principal source for the study of the Great Exhibition at the V&A. Information on objects acquired at the Exhibition can be found on Explore the Collections. Further information about the Great Exhibition can be found on the V&A website. The V&A Archive holds very few records relating to the Great Exhibition. These include:

The V&A Archive holds the following materials for the London International Exhibition 1862:

This loan exhibition was intended to counterbalance the displays of contemporary manufactures at the London International Exhibition. It was held at the South Kensington Museum. Records in the V&A Archive
document this landmark exhibition:

The majority of records concerning international exhibitions are in the archive series MA/35: International Exhibitions, 1869 – 1957, which comprises 158 files, just under half of which concern 19th-century exhibitions. Files may include: general correspondence, acquisition papers, press cuttings, display photographs, budget papers, report of jurors, and object lists. V&A Archive staff will be happy to provide further information on these files. The V&A Archive also holds press cuttings albums for:

In addition to exhibition files, further materials for the following exhibitions await cataloguing but are currently under the accession number A0463:

There is additional information in the printed annual reports of the Department of Science and Art, available in the V&A Archive. The ED 84 series of files concerning the early history and administration of the Museum and its buildings contains some relevant materials: