The Great Exhibition, 1851: Greek Slave by Powers

Photograph of a marble statue of an enslaved woman who is depicted naked and standing with her wrists in shackles. She is facing front with her head turned almost in profile to the right. Her right hand rests on a pillar, covered by a rich cloth, while her left arm rests on her hip and upper thigh. The sculpture is by Hiram Powers (1805-73) and was exhibited at the Great Exhibition.

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).