This collection of correspondence, taken from The Archive of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, consists of the Commission’s correspondence covering the period of 1849-1855.

The collection is made up mostly of incoming correspondence, addressed to various Commissioners and Commission staff, relating to the early planning and organisation of the Exhibition. Included is correspondence relating to the management and closing of the Exhibition in October 1851, removal of ‘Crystal Palace’ from the Hyde Park site and key events such as the granting of the Supplemental Charter, management of the surplus fund and the early stages of development of the South Kensington Estate