Photos of palace set for auction

The palace was destroyed by fire in 1936

A set of photographs of Crystal Palace dating back to the 1850s is expected to be sold at auction for up to £5,000.

Forty-seven prints of the iron and glass building, which was destroyed by fire in 1936, were taken by Philip Henry Delamotte.

Crystal Palace was designed by Sir Joseph Paxton as the venue for the Great Exhibition in London in 1851.

The collection is being sold next Wednesday by auctioneers Dominic Winter in Swindon, Wiltshire.

'Largest collection'

About six million people visited the palace to see more than 13,000 exhibits which formed the Great Exhibition.

When the exhibition closed, Crystal Palace was reconstructed in Sydenham Hill, south-east London, where it was opened by Queen Victoria in 1854.

Chris Albury, from the auctioneers, said Delamotte had taken photographs of the relocation of the palace which collectors have been aware of for some time.

"We can't say that any of the images are unique, but we haven't been able to ascertain that any of the major photo collections have anything like these," he said.

"It seems to be the largest collection of its type that has so far come to light."

The photographs are presented in a book box.