Opening of the Great Exhibition of 1851. Illustration showing 'The Opening of the Great Industrial Exhibition of all Nations' by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and other members of the royal family on 1 May 1851. This view is from the South West Gallery, and shows the Archbishop of Canterbury (John Sumner) in attendance. The Great Exhibition was held in the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, UK, from May to October 1851. It contained 100,000 exhibits from around the world, half from Britain and its Empire. Over six million visitors attended, with 25,000 at the opening ceremony. Illustration by George Cruikshank (1792-1878), published on 29 June 1851.