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The Peace Illuminations - the Ordnance Office, Pall-Mall, 1856. Creator: Unknown
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The Peace Illuminations - the Ordnance Office, Pall-Mall, 1856. Creator: Unknown
The Peace Illuminations - the Ordnance Office, Pall-Mall, 1856. London celebrations to mark the end of the Crimean War. In a fit of old-boyish excitement...the old gentlemen of England determined to make the people "jolly, " to give them a grand spectacle, such as children and savages love, and to immolate the War-demon in the several parks of the metropolis in a shower of rockets and Roman candles, and amid a gush of blue and crimson flame...it was resolved to celebrate the auspicious birthday of the Queen and the inauspicious Treaty of Peace on the same evening...Ten, and probably twenty, thousand pounds worth of gunpowder and other combustibles was thus expended...to teach the people, we suppose, how much more rational and pleasant it is to put gunpowder to such uses than to employ it in the demolition of Russian fortresses, or in the restoration of the equilibrium of Europe'. From "Illustrated London News", 1856
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Media ID 36321766
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Anniversary Birthday Celebrating Celebration Celebrations City Of Westminster London England Crimean War Crowds Gas Lighting Houses Of Parliament Illuminate Illuminated Illumination Illuminations Lights Lit Up Palace Of Westminster Pall Mall Patriotic Patriotism Peace Propaganda Royal Event Triumph Triumphal Triumphalism Westminster London England
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EDITORS COMMENTS
The Peace Illuminations - the Ordnance Office, Pall-Mall, 1856" is an intriguing photograph capturing the grand celebration marking the end of the Crimean War in London. The image portrays the Ordnance Office in Pall-Mall, illuminated by the brilliant display of fireworks. The old gentlemen of England, in a show of excitement and jubilation, had planned this spectacle to bring joy to the people and mark the auspicious birthday of Queen Victoria and the inauspicious Treaty of Peace on the same evening. The scene is set against the backdrop of the dark night sky, with the Ordnance Office building standing proudly in the foreground. The building, adorned with flags and banners, is bathed in the warm glow of the fireworks. The sky above is a riot of colors, with bursts of blue and crimson flames, and the trails of rockets and Roman candles creating intricate patterns against the night sky. The air must have been filled with the deafening sounds of explosions and the sweet smell of gunpowder. The Illustrated London News reported that over ten, and probably twenty, thousand pounds worth of gunpowder and other combustibles were expended on this grand spectacle. The people of London were taught, we suppose, how much more rational and pleasant it is to put gunpowder to such uses than to employ it in the demolition of Russian fortresses or in the restoration of the equilibrium of Europe. The Peace Illuminations were a testament to the relief and joy felt by the people of London and the end of the long and grueling Crimean War. The photograph is a reminder of the power of celebration and the human spirit to come together in times of joy and unity. The identity of the photographer remains unknown, but their image captures a moment in history that continues to inspire awe and wonder.
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