The Great Exhibition "Wot is to Be", Probable Results of The Industry of All Nations in The Year '51, Showing What is to be Exhibited, Who is To Exhibit, in Short How Its All Going to Be Done 1850

Curator: So, here we have George Augustus Sala’s “The Great Exhibition ‘Wot is to Be’,” created in 1850 using ink and pen. It’s currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: This is…certainly something! It looks like a series of satirical sketches, but I’m a bit lost on its intent. What's your take? Curator: As a materialist, I'm drawn to understanding how this print functioned as a form of social commentary. Consider the material conditions: mass-produced prints were becoming more accessible, reaching a wider audience than ever before. What commentary might the *accessibility* of printmaking offer on the industrial boom represented in the Great Exhibition itself? Editor: That's interesting... So, it’s not just about the images of Irish industries and caricatures, but about *how* people were able to see them? Curator: Precisely. Sala is engaging with the social implications of industrialization and its impact on the British Isles. It speaks volumes that this work is crafted from readily available materials, distributed as prints, depicting goods like whiskey and buttermilk now entering the circuits of mass production and consumption. Editor: I see. It’s not just about showing Irish goods, but commenting on their industrial context through the medium of print itself. Like, how everyday materials can become part of this larger exhibition. Curator: Exactly! He questions what “value” and “industry” mean in this changing world. What is considered 'art' versus 'industry', or even *who* gets to decide. Are those lines really that clear? How does caricature blur the lines? Editor: That connection between material and message really changes how I see the piece! Thanks for clarifying! Curator: My pleasure! It’s a reminder that art doesn't exist in a vacuum; it's interwoven with its means of production and circulation.