“150,000,000 B.C.” is a rare pamphlet about the Crystal Palace dinosaurs and other statues by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins created in the 1850s in Crystal Palace Park, Sydenham. It was published by the Greater London Council as part of its ‘Enjoy your Parks Series’. Its purpose was to help visitors learn more about the statues and the history of project. It explores the history, purpose, and specific details of these fantastic sculptures.
The pamphlet explains that these “two dozen life-sized replicas of primaeval monsters” were originally sited on small islands within a “tidal lake” at the southern end of the Crystal Palace grounds. The Crystal Palace itself, designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, opened in 1854. The sculptures were an integral part of the park’s educational design, aiming to represent the Earth’s geological strata and illustrate the discoveries of palaeontology.
The pamphlet highlights prominent examples such as the Iguanodon, Megalosaurus, and Labyrinthodon. It details their construction from brick, reinforced with iron, and faced with stucco, and even recounts the famous 1853 New Year’s Eve dinner held inside a half-completed Iguanodon model.
The pamphlet includes a map of Crystal Palace Park, indicating the locations of these historic statues, and notes that by 1968, the park also featured a National Recreation Centre and hosted events like motor racing.
The pamphlet has some howling errors (e.g., Megalosaurus is identified as Hylaeosaurus). It also has some rare pieces of information. For instance, one of the colour images of Iguanodon shows an exceptional view of a camouflage painting scheme. Overall, this pamphlet has photographs in total; they vary in quality and value. A map is included, with some interesting inaccuracies.
This pamphlet was printed July 1968. Some catalogues note this pamphlet as 1962, which suggests there were different printings. That is not confirmed. This item makes reference to events in 1964 and 1965.
Details
Title: 150,000,000 B.C. – The Prehistoric Monsters of Crystal Palace (Enjoy Your Parks Brochure No 4)
Publisher: Greater London Council
Date: 1968
Length: 10 pages
“Enjoy Your Parks” series
Other titles in the “Enjoy Your Parks” series:
- Aspects of the Thames
- With Children in Monday Holland Park
- Hainault Forest
- Points of View (Woods and parks in south-east London)
- The High Heath (Parks and commons in the Hampstead Area)
- The Glory of the Garden (flower gardens in London parks)
150,000,000 B.C – full pamphlet
Citation: 150,000,000 B.C. – The Prehistoric Monsters of Crystal Palace (Enjoy Your Parks Brochure No 4) (London: Greater London Council, 1968), 10 pages. Also available on Archive.org.