The Great Exhibition, 1851: Andromeda by Bell

Photograph of a bronze sculpture of a naked Andromeda standing with her hands tied behind her back. She is chained to a plinth which is richly decorated by scrolls and features masks of Medusa and putti. The sculpture is by John Bell (1811-95) and was exhibited at the Great Exhibition. During her visit to the Exhibition, Queen Victoria (1819-1901) admired the sculpture and acquired it for the gardens at Osborne House. The sculpture (RCIN 41823) is currently displayed on the Lower Terrace at Osborne House.

This photograph is from Volume IV (RCIN 2800003) of ' Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, 1851: Reports by the Juries on the Subjects in the Thirty Classes into which the Exhibition was Divided'. The incredibly successful Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, commonly known as the Great Exhibition, ran from May to October 1851. At the exhibition's conclusion, over 100 copies of the four volume 'Reports by the Juries' were distributed to foreign governments and notable participants. The reports consist of the juries' comments and assessments of the works displayed in the exhibition. The idea and decision to illustrate the reports with photographs is attributed to Prince Albert (1819-61).