New York Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations Souvenir Medal
date: label: Date made
content: 1853
notes: label: Description
content: Souvenir medal commemorating the Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations in New York. Marked on obverse: BUILDING FOR THE EXHIBITION OF THE INDUSTRY OF ALL NATIONS [/] NEW YORK [/] MDCCCLIII. Reverse marked: "THE FIRST PILLAR [/] AS ERECTED [/] OCTOBER 30TH [/] -1852- [/] OPENED [/] MAY 2ND [/] 1853. [/] MESSRS CARSTENSEN & GILDEMIESTER [/] ARCHITECTS."
label: Description
content: New York’s 1853 Exhibition of the Industry of all Nations was the United States’ attempt to emulate the success of Britain’s groundbreaking 1851 Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, or <i> Great Exhibition. </i> To that aim, a <i>Crystal Palace</i> exhibition building, similar to the iconic structure built for the Great Exhibition, was constructed in the area now known as Manhattan’s Bryant Park. Another architectural landmark, the Latting Observatory, was also constructed. A 315-foot-tall wooden tower, the Observatory was, at the time, the tallest structure in New York, allowing visitors unprecedented views of the surrounding landscape.
label: Description
content: The exposition, America’s first attempt at a World’s Fair, ran from July 14, 1853, until November 14, 1854. It attracted over one million visitors, who could see innovations such as Elisha Otis’ safety lift (which allowed for the development of passenger elevators,) photographs from Matthew Brady, a demonstration of the Morse telegraph, and theatrical productions from PT Barnum.
label: Description
content: Both the New York Crystal Palace and the Latting Observatory were destroyed by fire not long after the conclusion of the Fair: The Observatory in 1856 and the Palace in 1858.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: Subject
content: Expositions and Fairs
label: related event
content: New York Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: The Larry Zim World's Fair Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1989.0438.0113
label: catalog number
content: 1989.0438.0113
label: accession number
content: 1989.0438
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Medal
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 in; x 5.08 cm