These prints are from Recollections of the Great Exhibition of 1851 by Day & Son of London, Lithographers to the Queen, published by Lloyd Brothers & Co. & Simpkin Marshall & Co. (1 September 1851), and both are by C.T. Dolby.

The altar screen was exhibited as a specimen of machine carving in wood by Jordan’s patent mechanism. The monumental Irish Cross was designed and sculpted by the Hon. Harriet M. Ross of Rosstrevor. The side shown in this print depicts New Testament subjects (the Crucifixion, the Prodigal Son, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the heads of St Peter, St John, St James and St Paul).

The reason for showing this print is its depiction (right) of one of the displays of Spiers & Son of Oxford. Spiers & Son were represented in three classes in the Great Exhibition: Class 17 ‘Paper, printing, and bookbinding’ where, as ‘designers and manufacturers’, they exhibited embossed envelopes and paper and models of six cathedrals, Osborne House and Martyr’s Memorial, Oxford; Class 30, ‘Sculpture, models, and plastic art, mosaics, enamels, & c.’ where, as ‘manufacturers’, they exhibited cardboard models of buildings, including the ‘Radcliffe Library’, medals, silver embossed work, charts of the boat races and their trade card; Class 26, ‘Furniture, upholstery, paper hangings, papier maché and japanned goods’.

The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations. Official Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue entry for Spiers’ exhibit in Class 26 reads:

‘Specimens of decorated papier maché consisting of tables, cabinets, fire and hand screens, albums, writing portfolios, desks, envelope-cases, work-boxes, card-trays, panels for internal decorations, &c.; ornamented with views of Oxford and its neighbourhood. Upwards of 100 subjects are introduced, consisting principally of the colleges, public buildings, college-walks and gardens, and general views of the city.

Specimens of University ink-stands.

An ornamental fire-screen of papier-maché, with a view in Oxford, the Martyrs Monument.’