Crystal Palace Trustees

The Crystal Palace of the 1851 Exhibition in Hyde Park was re-erected, with considerable enlargements, at Sydenham in 1852-4 by a private company. By 1911 the company was in difficulties and public subscriptions were raised to save the palace and park. Under the Crystal Palace Act, 1914 (4 Geo.5, c.5 local) their entire control and management "as a place for education and recreation and for the promotion of industry commerce and art", was vested in Trustees, of whom 23 were representatives of local authorities, six being nominated by the Council. The palace was burnt down in 1936 and available funds were insufficient for its re-erection prior to the outbreak of the war of 1939-45. A scheme to use the site for the celebration of the centenary of the 1851 Exhibition fell through and under the London County Council (Crystal Palace) Act, 1951, the Council took over all the assets and responsibilities of the Trustees as from 1 January 1952.