Souvenir medal commemorating New York's Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations in New York. Medal is set in a plaque amrked New York Crystal Palace Medal 1853 /Official medal struck for the First International Exposition held in the United States. Medal is marked "EXHIBITION OF THE INDUSTRY OF ALL NATIONS NEW YORK [/] 1853 [/] Carsten & Gildemiester Architects.
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 Great Exhibition. To that aim, a Crystal Palace 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.
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.
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.