1853: New York Crystal Palace – New York, United States

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Building:  New York Crystal Palace
Location: New York, United States
Construction: 1853
Architects: Georg Carstensen and Charles Gildemeister
Engineer:  Christian Edward Detmold

Two years after the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, England, The United States hosted the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations in New York City.  The exhibition was housed in the New York Crystal Palace, which was designed by Georg Carstensen and Charles Gildemeister and inspired by the Crystal Palace in London.  It had the shape of a Greek cross and was topped by a dome 100 feet in diameter.  Similarly to the Crystal Palace in London, it was constructed from iron and glass.  Adjoined to the palace was the Latting Observatory, the tallest structure in New York City at the time, which allowed people at the exhibition to see into Queens, Staten Island, and New Jersey.  The Crystal Palace in New York was a message that the United States could not only keep up with England and the rest of Europe, but surpass what they were capable of.  The materials and production techniques involved in the construction of the New York Crystal Palace led to modern day steel structures and skyscrapers.

Article: [1]

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