Now, the mystery of how the Victorians managed to erect the Crystal Palace so quickly in 1851 has been solved.
Experts have discovered the answer lies in the first known use of standardised nuts and bolts in construction - a humble engineering innovation that would power the British empire and revolutionise the industrial world.
The iron and glass structure of the Crystal Palace, measuring a colossal 92,000 sq metres, was built in just 190 days, to house the 14,000 exhibitors taking part in the "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations", in Hyde Park in London.
Newly analysed evidence suggests the building could not have been built without advanced technology for its day: interchangeable nuts and bolts made on machines to match one standardised size across the industry.
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