Peter Manning

Palace at the Palace Peter Manning

At the height of the British Empire the Crystal Palace was the world's largest and most iconic building. in 1854 it was moved from its home in Hyde Park to Sydenham where it was substantially enlarged to become the world's first theme park. During the Victorian and Edwardian eras the Crystal Palace became a much-loved national institution. It was at the centre of innovation and invention and was the scene of many historic World and British 'firsts'; it also gave birth to one of the oldest and most historic football clubs. This is the first detailed history written about the Crystal Palace Company which owned and managed the Palace and its 200 acres of parkland and the momentous events which took place there. Drawing on nearly 1,000 references from newspapers and archives the landmark events that took place at the Palace and the involvement of the Crystal Palace Football Club in the founding of the Football Association and 'soccer' as we know it to today, are recounted by those who were there. This is the story of the Crystal Palace Company from its founding in 1852 to its demise in 1909 when the Crystal Palace was finally bought for the nation and closed to serve as a Royal Naval training depot for the duration of the First World War. Hand-in-hand it tells the unique story of its football club until, it too, was forced to leave the Crystal Palace in 1915.