Fascinating! I wish I could have been there. I’m still hoping for a transporter to instantly take me to and from doctors’ appointments.
When it comes to human ingenuity, the Victorians really knew how to put on a show. Case in point: The Great Exhibition of 1851—the world’s first-ever World’s Fair! Organized by Prince Albert (yes, Queen Victoria’s hubby), this grand event was held in The Crystal Palace, a breathtaking glass-and-iron wonder built in London’s Hyde Park just to house all the world’s newest and most astonishing inventions. 🌍✨
Though Jake Everton wouldn’t be born for another 13 years, the spirit of innovation, discovery, and wild invention that defined the Victorian age plays a HUGE role in The Gryphon Chronicles—especially in JAKE & THE GIANT, where the story takes us to a grand “Invention Convention” in Oslo, Norway, in the fall of 1876.
So, what kinds of brilliant, bizarre, and downright bonkers contraptions were on display at The Great Exhibition?
🔥 100,000+ Exhibits of Sheer Genius (and Weirdness!)
The Victorian era (1837–1901) was an age of unparalleled creativity, and The Great Exhibition put all that brainpower on display! Among the 100,000+ exhibits, you would’ve seen:
🔹 The World’s First Public Restroom! 🚽 George Jennings installed "Monkey Closets" (basically Victorian porta-potties) and charged one penny per use. This was such a novelty that 827,280 people eagerly paid for the privilege—probably just to say they did! 💰🚻 (And no, Thomas Crapper—actual name!—didn’t invent the toilet. He just made it better. Respect. 😂)
🔹 A Pre-Fax Machine! 📝📠 Inventor Frederick Bakewell demonstrated an early version of the fax machine that could transmit images over wires.
🔹 The Tempest Prognosticator! ⛈️⚡ This delightfully odd weather-predicting device used… leeches. Yep. Live leeches! 🩸 They would squirm around and trigger little bells when a storm was coming. Because, obviously, nothing says "advanced meteorology" like a bunch of cranky leeches ringing bells. 🦠🔔 (We’re still wondering how on earth someone came up with this idea!)
🔹 A Flying Machine! ✈️ Inspired by birds, Sir George Cayley built a glider prototype he called The Governable Parachute. Fast-forward a few decades, and Archie’s glider in Jake & The Giant follows in his flight-obsessed footsteps! 🕊️💨
🔹 Electric Telegraphs! ⚡ Samuel Morse’s Morse Code system was one of the biggest breakthroughs of the age. For the first time, people could send messages almost instantly over long distances! (Kind of like texting… but with a lot more beeping.) 📡
🔹 A Gas Cooking Stove! 🔥 Before this, cooking indoors was a smoky affair. This invention changed the way people prepared food forever!
🔹 Cameras! 📷 Photography was brand new in 1851, and some of the first “portable” cameras (which were, ironically, huge) were on display at the Exhibition. Imagine the Victorians trying to take selfies. 😂
🚀 The Victorian Era: The Original Sci-Fi Age
The Great Exhibition wasn’t just about new gadgets—it showcased a new way of thinking. The Industrial Revolution was in full swing, and inventors were dreaming up bold ideas about the future, just like modern sci-fi writers do today. If you think about it, this period gave us:
⚙️ The Steam Engine Revolution – Leading to faster trains, steamboats, and even early cars! 🚂🚢🚗
⚡ The Light Bulb – Though Edison gets the credit, British inventor Joseph Swan was working on it, too! 💡
🛡️ Kevlar-like Body Armor – Invented by an American named George Emery, made of layers of silk! 🦸
🕰️ The First Digital Computer (Sort of)! – Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine was the great-great-grandparent of today’s computers! 💻
🧐 Have You Ever Invented Anything?
Victorian inventors were always thinking outside the box. From flying machines to steam-powered submarines, no idea was too crazy.
What do YOU wish someone would invent?
I'm still waiting for my flying car… 🚗💨😂
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