Ron Cheek, of Collingwood, Ontario, Canada submitted this query regarding a medal in his possession. -Editor
The 1851 Great Exhibition in London, and its medals have long been a passion of mine. I recently acquired a "For Services" medal named to an M. Walker. It turns out he was a
member of the US Committee that organized the American participation in the exhibition. I am having difficulty finding out much of anything about who he was, even his full name.
The First Report of the Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1851 (London: 1852, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office), Appendix V, page 45, Executive Organization, Foreign Arrangements, has:
“America (United States of) – Commissioner, Edward Riddle; Secretaries, Messrs. N.S. Dodge and Morey; Clerks, Messrs. Brewster and Walker; Attendants, 3.” This is the only Walker who received a
For Services medal so he is my man
World’s Fairs from London 1851 to Chicago 1893 … by C.B. Norton (p. 64) states: “The United States was represented by a Commissioner, Edward Riddle, Esq., of Boston; secretaries, Messrs.
Dodge and Morey; clerks, Messrs. Brewster and Walker, and three assistants.”
I am hoping some reader might enlighten me, or perhaps point me to an information source that will help me begin my research into "M. Walker" - his full name, who he was and where he was
from.
I also wonder if someone else out there has studied the 1851 Exhibition and has perhaps really gotten into the American presence there. Much has been written about the successes of the U.S. at the
event (which were impressive) even though general opinion then was that the participation was a little "light" because the promotion of possible benefits to U.S. industry was not given much
priority.
Thanks. Interesting piece. Common names like these can be tough to pin down. Can anyone help? -Editor
Wayne Homren, Editor
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