The Great Exhibition "Wot is to Be", Probable Results of The Industry of All Nations in The Year '51, Showing What is to be Exhibited, Who is To Exhibit, in Short How Its All Going to Be Done

Art Historical Context

Created in 1850 by George Augustus Sala in collaboration with the satirical “Committee of the Society for Keeping Things in Their Places,” this lively wood engraving offers a humorous preview of London’s forthcoming Great Exhibition of 1851. The lengthy title to reveal “what is to be exhibited” and “how it’s all going to be done,” reflecting the mixture of excitement and skepticism that greeted Prince Albert’s plan to showcase the industry of all nations inside the Crystal Palace. Sala, a noted Victorian journalist and illustrator, uses the crisp lines of wood engraving—a medium prized for its affordability and wide circulation—to poke fun at the expected spectacle. Tiny figures of men, women, and animals crowd the scene, suggesting both the exhibition’s global ambitions and its potential for delightful chaos. Only 5 by 9 inches, the print was designed to reach a broad audience through magazines and print shops, capturing the public’s anticipation of this landmark event in industrial history. Today the sheet survives as a witty time capsule, reminding viewers that even the most celebrated world’s fairs were met with playful doubt as well as wonder.

About the Artist

George Augustus Sala|Committee of the Society for Keeping Things in Their Places (British|British) · 1828 |1840 –1895 |1860

British, London 1828–1895 Hove|London