Medal of the International Exhibition of 1862 thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Medal of the International Exhibition of 1862

Medal
1862 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This medal is one of about sixty unofficial medals and tokens produced to commemorate the 1862 International Exhibition in London which followed the legacy of the 1851 Great Exhibition.
Shown on the reverse of this medal, the exhibition building was designed by Royal engineer Captain Francis Fowke (1823-1865), who also had a role in the design and construction of the South Kensington Museum (now V&A). The 1862 exhibition building was, however, badly received in the press: the structure was pulled down in 1864, to make space for the Natural History Museum.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleMedal of the International Exhibition of 1862 (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Struck lead
Brief description
Medal, struck lead, of the International Exhibition of 1862, by G. Dowler, British, 1862
Physical description
Circular lead medal.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 50mm
Style
Credit line
Given by Angus Patterson
Object history
Given by Angus Patterson in 2011.

Historical significance: According to Leslie Lewis Allen (2000, p. 212) this medal is a rare specimen.
Historical context
This medal is one of about sixty unofficial medals and tokens produced to commemorate the 1862 International Exhibition in London which followed the legacy of the 1851 Great Exhibition.
Paid for by part of the profits from 1851, the exhibition building lay on a site at the southern end of Exhibition Road and was designed by Royal engineer Captain Francis Fowke (1823-1865). The medal shows a perspective view from south west of the long main front along Cromwell Road, a view recorded in a drawing in the V&A’s collection (Museum no. E.928-1976). The building was, however, badly received in the press, and the structure was pulled down in 1864, to make space for the Natural History Museum.
Subject depicted
Association
Summary
This medal is one of about sixty unofficial medals and tokens produced to commemorate the 1862 International Exhibition in London which followed the legacy of the 1851 Great Exhibition.
Shown on the reverse of this medal, the exhibition building was designed by Royal engineer Captain Francis Fowke (1823-1865), who also had a role in the design and construction of the South Kensington Museum (now V&A). The 1862 exhibition building was, however, badly received in the press: the structure was pulled down in 1864, to make space for the Natural History Museum.
Bibliographic references
  • Allen, Leslie Lewis, The World's Show : Coinscraft's Catalogue of Crystal Palace Medals and Tokens, 1851-1936, London : Coinscraft, 2000, cat. SK-B080 p. 212
  • Brown, Lawrence, British Historical Medals 1837-1901: The Reign of Queen Victoria, London: Seaby, 1987, cat. 2720 p. 236
Collection
Accession number
A.3-2011

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Record createdMay 17, 2011
Record URL
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