Prize medal for London International Exhibition
Object No. N12356
The Great London Exposition or London International Exhibition on Industry and Art was held from May 1 to November 1, 1862. The exposition was sponsored by the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Trade, and featured exhibitors from 36 countries showing a wide range of industry, technology and the arts. It was housed on 23 acres of land, within a special building designed by Cpt. Francis Fowke (1823-1865) and built by Charles and Thomas Lucas and Sir John Kelk at a cost of £300,000 covered by profits from the Great Exhibition of 1851. It was visited by about 6.1 million visitors with takings of about £450,000 breaking even with costs. The exposition was presciently on the site now home to the Natural History and Science Museums. The prestige of participating in this successor to the 1851 International Exhibition prompted Australian colonies to issue their own spectacular medals to prize exhibitors of which this is an example. The exhibition issued its own prize medals (eg. N12378).
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Summary
Object Statement
Prize medal, London International Exhibition, silver, designed by W Kullrich, London, England, 1862
Physical Description
Obverse: head of the goddess Ceres, her hair bound with native Australian flora. Reverse: kneeling allegorical figure of NSW emptying the fruits of the colony from a cornucopia at the feet of the seated Britannia. Background image of a ship at wharf and the exhibition building at South Kensington.
DIMENSIONS
Width
75 mm
Depth
75 mm
SOURCE
Credit Line
Gift of Australian Museum, 1961
Acquisition Date
27 February 1961
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