Bard Graduate Center is devoted to the study of decorative arts, design history, and material culture through research, advanced degrees, exhibitions, publications, and events.
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Description
The Great Exhibition in Art: London’s First Word’s Fair, 1851
A lecture by Julius Bryant (Victoria and Albert Museum)
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
38 West 86th Street, Lecture Hall
gallery@bgc.bard.edu
$15 General | $12 Seniors | Free for people associated with a college or university, people with museum ID, people with disabilities and caregivers, and BGC members
No late seating; admittance is not guaranteed after 6 pm.
Through the graphic art collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum and its National Art Library, Julius Bryant leads a visit to the Crystal Palace, revealing the original layout, visitor routes, star attractions, and core purpose of the first world’s fair. This book launch lecture, marking the 175th anniversary of the Great Exhibition, shares discoveries made through systematic analysis of the full range of visual evidence, from official catalogues and illustrated press to commemorative oil paintings.
Dr. Julius Bryant is keeper emeritus of the Victoria and Albert Museum and was formerly keeper of word and image, the V&A’s department for paintings, prints, drawings, the National Art Library, and the Archive of Art and Design.
Image: tk
Date & Time
Tue, Apr 21, 2026 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Venue Details
Bard Graduate Center
38 West 86th StreetNew York, New York 10024
