over the past 150 years, rahm r month rahmanov, the rolling stones, pavarotti, and adele.a few. >> it hosted just an incredible array of things from ice skating to circus. to ballet. >> reporter: archivist elizabeth harper keeps record of all the stars on stage. >> it was the first time the beatles played here, and you can see it's quite female heavy. >> reporter: and backstage. >> i have some lovely images of princess diana coming here, which actually people won't have seen before. >> reporter: the idea for a place to promote the arts and sciences to the british masses began with prince albert, but he died in 1861 before the hall was completed. a decade letter, his widow, queen victoria was still grieving at the opening ceremony. >> it's really sad, because she says in her diaries she was so overcome with emotion, she couldn't speak, and she just thought of her dear prince albert. >> she really loved him? >> she really did. >> reporter: at the time the hall ones of the largest in the world. >> they didn't know how to fill a venue like this. nowhere else existed quite like