The Great Exhibition was a spectacular display of manufactured goods, innovative technology, and international commodities from the British Empire that took place in the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park. It represented Britain's pride in its industrial might and expanding consumerism. Millions of tourists came to see technologies, machinery, and textiles that symbolized contemporary affluence. The spectacle captivated Victorian writers; some, like Thomas Carlyle, condemned the celebration of materialism, while others, like Elizabeth Gaskell, recognized the possibility for advancement. Britain's identity as a consumer-driven culture underwent a sea change with the Exhibition.
