Following the closure of the Great Exhibition in October 1851, Joseph Paxton's Crystal Palace was bought and moved to Penge Place atop Sydenham Hill, South London, by the newly formed Crystal Palace Company. The grounds that surrounded it were then extensively renovated and turned into a public park with ornamental gardens, replicas of statues and two new man-made lakes. As part of this renovation, Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins was commissioned to build the first-ever life-sized models of extinct animals.
After the Great Exhibition closed in October 1851, Joseph Paxton's Crystal Palace was acquired and relocated to Penge Place on Sydenham Hill in South London by the newly formed Crystal Palace Company. The surrounding area was then extensively redeveloped into a public park featuring beautiful gardens, statue replicas, and two man-made lakes. As part of this redevelopment, Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins was tasked with creating life-sized models of extinct animals.