A major international trade exhibition held in London in 1851 under the sponsorship of Prince Albert. It was housed in the vast Crystal Palace, designed by Joseph Paxton (1801–65), built in London’s Hyde Park entirely of glass and iron, except for the flooring and joists. The exhibition, which lasted 23 weeks, attracted 17,000 exhibitors and more than 6 million visitors. The profits were invested, and are still being used, to promote education and science. The Crystal Palace was dismantled and moved to the London suburb of Sydenham, where it burnt down in 1936.