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Many people know that the Crystal Palace, built to host The Great Exhibition of 1851, was designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, once Head Gardener at Chatsworth House, but the city had another famous son who played a leading role in the creation of this magnificent structure.

Sir Charles Fox

Architect of The Crystal Palace was Derby-born Sir Charles Fox. He was also responsible for many other remarkable buildings across the globe. He was known as The Cast Iron Man because of his belief in cast iron.

He was born in Derby on March 11, 1810. As a boy Charles, like many children of his age, was interested in all things mechanical and was particularly good at making models.

After a short time studying medicine he went into engineering and by the time he was 30 he was running his own company, Fox, Henderson and Co.

His company did a great deal of work on the new railways of the age as well as building the Crystal Palace using a remarkable new prefabricated system.

The building needed 304,800m of glass - that's equivalent to almost one million square feet!

On October 22, 1851, Charles was given a knighthood for his work on the Crystal Palace, along with his partner Henderson and Joseph Paxton the designer.

Fox and Henderson dismantled the Crystal Palace after the Great Exhibition had closed and reassembled it on Sydenham Hill, London, where it where it hosted many more exhibitions, shows and events.

Sir Charles continued his distinguished engineering career until his death in 1874 at the age of 64. Family and friends remembered him as friendly and courteous, a generous man who loved family life. His son, Francis Fox, followed in his footsteps and was responsible for more impressive building work.

Visit the bridges over the River Thames at Richmond, Barnes or Staines or arrive at Paddington, Waterloo or Birmingham New Street stations and you will see some of Fox's work still in use today.

• Sir Charles Fox

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County:  Derbyshire

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