Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia 1876

This bronze medal was created by William Barber to commemorate the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. Its design, pressed into being, shows allegorical figures representing industry and art, overseen by a central figure of Liberty, and the inscription around the edge proclaims the hundredth anniversary of American Independence. Medals like this one were mechanically produced, a far cry from the hand-wrought coins of previous eras. This was the age of steam power, and the industrial revolution. The medal's very substance speaks to these themes, offering a small token of an emergent, confident, and industrialized America. While this kind of object might be dismissed as mere ephemera, consider the skill involved in its production. The artistry involved in designing and cutting the die. The labor involved in operating the machinery, and in extracting and processing the metal itself. Appreciating the material and processes by which things are made can lead to a deeper understanding of their meaning, and their place in the world.