New findings have determined how the Crystal Palace in London, which was the largest building in the world at the time, was built in just 190 days to be ready for the Great Exhibition of 1851. This research reveals that the Crystal Palace was the first structure known to utilize a standardized screw thread—an element that is now a basic component of modern construction and engineering. Prior to this, screws and bolts were not uniform.
Recent research has clarified the enigma of how the Crystal Palace in London, then the world’s largest building, was completed in only 190 days.
The investigation, spearheaded by Professor John Gardner from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge, England, found that the Crystal Palace was the earliest known construction to implement a standard screw thread—an advancement that is now commonplace in modern building practices.
Finished right before the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Crystal Palace symbolized the industrial prowess of Victorian Britain. Stretching over 560 meters long, it featured a massive glass roof held up by 3,300 cast iron columns, and was so expansive that it could expand by as much as 12 inches on warmer days.
Despite the design being finalized only in July 1850, historians have been baffled by the rapid construction timeline.
This puzzle has now been solved through a new study published in The International Journal for the History of Engineering & Technology, which shows that the Crystal Palace is the first known building to employ Whitworth screw threads, recognized as British Standard Whitworth (BSW)—the first national standard for screw threads globally.
Initially erected for the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, central London, the Crystal Palace was dismantled and later rebuilt in south London in 1854, where it stood until a fire destroyed it in 1936.
The researchers discovered Whitworth screw threads at the Sydenham site, both in the remnants of the structure and in the adjacent south water tower designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, which was built to supply power for the fountains before the Crystal Palace.
A column bolt from the facility matched the British Standard Whitworth specifications, while another nut and bolt from the water tower, after being soaked in oil and subjected to heat and force, revealed measurable screw threads that also conformed to British Standard Whitworth standards.
Prior to Joseph Whitworth’s standardization, screws and bolts varied greatly, complicating construction processes since replacing lost or damaged pieces was a headache. The Crystal Palace contained around 30,000 nuts and bolts, and researchers believe the standardized threads were crucial in enabling the building to be completed within such a tight timeframe.
Professor Gardner’s research was part of a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship aimed at exploring the intersections between engineering and literary cultures.
He stated: “The Victorian period was filled with remarkable innovations from workshops across Britain that were transforming the world. The rapid pace of advancements at the time meant that certain significant breakthroughs may not have been fully appreciated at that moment, as seen with the Crystal Palace.”
“This investigation began with a question—how could it be constructed so swiftly? Thanks to Ken Kiss, the curator of the Crystal Palace museum, who collaborated with me, we could find an answer. Ken excavated original columns from the Crystal Palace site at Sydenham, allowing us to obtain accurate measurements.”
“I proceeded to create new bolts that adhered to British Standard Whitworth measurements and confirmed they fit the original nuts. The standardization in engineering that we see today in the 21st century played a vital role in the construction of the Crystal Palace.”
“The Great Exhibition of 1851 aimed to display the pinnacle of engineering excellence. It drew around six million visitors—about one-third of Britain’s population—and attracted prominent figures of the time, such as Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Charles Darwin, and Michael Faraday.”
“Ironically, Joseph Whitworth received a Council Medal for his exhibitions inside the Crystal Palace, yet his significant contribution to the building’s construction has only now come to light.”
