Anthony Burton

Elizabeth Bonython

One of the eminent figures of the Victorian era, Henry Cole (1808-1882) was a visionary whose pioneering ideas helped create the magnificent London museum that is now called the Victoria and Albert. With Prince Albert (consort of Queen Victoria), "Old King Cole" also helped to make London's Great Exhibition of 1851 a rousing triumph. Yet Cole's important contributions to cultural history have largely been forgotten. The Great Exhibitor is the first full-length biography of this museum pioneer who also played a pivotal role in establishing the English postal system, in expanding the railway, and in art and science education. This detailed portrait captures the personality of a man who in his own time aroused both admiration and antipathy, and restores to his proper place in history a larger-than-life Victorian phenomenon.

The Life and Work of Henry Cole

The Great Exhibitor

Biography of Henry Cole, extraordinary larger-than-life 'eminent Victorian', visionary civil servant and accomplished spin-doctor, who was the founding director of the Victoria and Albert Museum; with Prince Albert, he also created the Great Exhibition of 1851.

Elizabeth Bonython

Books

Your next favorite book is out there