Agriculture (for the St. Louis Exposition, 1904)

Daniel Jean-Baptiste Dupuis designed this medal, titled "Agriculture," for the St. Louis Exposition of 1904. As its inscription indicates, the fair commemorated the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase. This major land acquisition from France consolidated the United States’ position on the world stage. On one side of the medal, the words “Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis, 1904” surround the year of the purchase, 1803. On the other side, a classical female head symbolizes the wealth promised by the land’s agricultural potential. The Exposition itself was conceived as a showcase for American commercial might, but also celebrated the country’s artistic and cultural achievements. Historical societies and archives can provide unique insights into the significance of such objects. Examining this medal in the context of the Exposition reveals not only American ambition but also the self-conscious effort to define national identity through institutional display.