This week in class we looked into the arts and craft movement and the affect that mass production had on design and art. It was really interesting to think of a time before everything was made on mass, but also because people started to want unique things for the sake of having them instead of only having access to unique products. I think this is still particularly relevant today, as “handmade” and “local” products tend to draw in consumers for their personalised touch.
However, there was a time when mass-produced products were a technological breakthrough and were celebrated. If a product was mass-produced it had more appeal over specialised products just due to the fact that it was made in a factory with brand new technology. A modern example of this new technology obsession is 3D printers. My friend bought one recently and so far, he’s only printed out two small, little statues of cats and dogs- just plain black, plastic toys. But my friend and I completely gushed over them, because they were made using a new technology neither of us had very much experience with.
The Great Exhibition is the late 19th century version of this, but on a much, much larger scale. Originally the event was meant as an exhibition of manufactured art pieces from “All Nations”, however it primarily showcased industry products from the British Empire. There were approximately 100,000 exhibits on display and the event ran from May to October 1851. The glass palace specifically designed to be constructed and deconstructed relatively quickly and easily. It’s opening coincided with the recent completion of railroad construction that ran across England, making it accessible and popular. Opened by Queen Victoria and organised by Prince Albert and Henry Cole, the Great Exhibition had approximately six million visitors and took 5000 workers to erect. Nicknamed the Crystal palace, it was 564 meters long and 33 meters (10 stories today) high. However unfortunately the building was destroyed in a fire at Sydenham Hill in 1936.
As I was researching about the Great Exhibition I was thinking about whether we did anything like that today, and while maybe not on such a grand scale there are commonly technology conferences such as the Mach Exhibition and Spark + AI Summit. Mass-produced items today are starting to be frowned on, as people are becoming more aware of the environment and the conditions of where the products are made.
On a different note, I think it’s interesting that if a technology is new, the fact that its mass-produced doesn’t seem to affect anyone beyond environmental concerns. Usually older technologies are more sought after in a hand-made sense. For example, a lot of people will buy the new iPhone, but a new chair is released and people may still want a hand-made product instead.
Maybe in the future, we’ll build our own phones as technology becomes more accessible and easier to use, and it’ll be frowned upon to buy a new one from a large company.
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Great-Exhibition-of-1851/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Great-Exhibition-of-1851
Image: https://www.kristjanaswilliams.com/products/henry-cole-the-great-exhibition-1851?variant=44296526090
Design Doodles 