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

Step into the whimsical world of Victorian satire with *The Great Exhibition "Wot to Be"*, a wood engraving by George Augustus Sala, published in 1850 under the banner of the fictitious "Committee of the Society for Keeping Things Their Places." This cheeky print, measuring just 5 1/16 x 9 5/16 inches, captures pre-event buzz—and skepticism—surrounding London's Great Exhibition of 1851 the world's first industrial fair held in the iconic Crystal Palace. The exaggerated title promises a peek at "probable results" of global industry, humorously depicting what will be shown, by whom, and how it all might spectacularly unravel. Featuring men, women, and horses in a chaotic tableau, it pokes fun at the era's optimism for progress, reflecting conservative anxieties about rapid modernization and foreign influences. Sala, a noted journalist and illustrator, uses the vernacular "Wot is to Be" to mimic working-class speech, amplifying the mockery. As a wood engraving, this print exemplifies mid-19th-century reproductive techniques, where intricate designs carved into wood blocks enabled affordable, widespread dissemination in periodicals. Donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1963, it remains a lively artifact of cultural resistance, reminding us how art can whimsically challenge the march of history.

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