Summary
Trade Card which advertises the award of a 'First Order of Merit' at Melbourne's International Exhibition, 1880, to the Davis Sewing Machine Co. for its Vertical Feed Sewing Machine.
The trade card lists the jurors responsible for awarding the First Order of Merit, alongside an invitation to view 'the great variety of desirable and useful work which can be done on 'The Davis'.'
The manufacturing arm of the Davis Sewing Machine Company was based at Watertown in New York, but the company had an outlet in Chicago. This Trade Card was issued by the Chicago outlet.
Physical Description
Front of card has tinted lithograph depicting a child kneeling beside a circular box upon which two puppies sit. A cat lurks in the background. A diamond shaped lozenge in the upper left hand corner advertises the company. The reverse of the card is printed with text in a variety of fonts.
Significance
This Trade Card is significant as it illustrates how important the awarding of a First Order of Merit was to manufacturers who exhibited at International Exhibitions. Contestation of the award by longer established companies who exhibited at the Melbourne International Exhibition indicates such awards were perceived to be highly important outcomes of their participation at International Exhibitions.
More Information
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Purchase
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Issued By
Davis Sewing Machine Co, Chicago, Illinois, Australia, circa 1880
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Place & Date of Event
Royal Exhibition Building (REB), Carlton, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1880
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Inscriptions
Text, printed front: COMPLIMENTS OF/ DAVIS/ SEWING MACHING CO./ 218 & 220 STATE ST./ CHICAGO. Text, printed reverse: The "First Order of Merit" was awarded to/ THE/ DAVIS/ Vertical Feed Sewing Machine/ At the International Exhibition, 1880-81,/ At Melbourne, Australia, by the unanimous verdict of the Jury. Then in three separate columns: WHETHER you wish to/ purchase a Machine or/ not, you are invited to/ call and see the great/ variety of desirable and use-/ ful work which can be done/ on the "THE DAVIS." JURORS:/ KERNOT, Chairman/ HARVEY, Vice-Chair,/ WALTON,/ DROOP,/ PUTNAM,/ CHESNEY,/ KAY,/ McLEAN,/ BASCHE,/ VILLANIS. Work that cannot be suc-/ cessfully duplicated by/ any other Machine. Or, if you prefer, will/ at your request, forward a/ Machine to your house for/ Examination. Along the bottom: Call on or Address.
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Classification
Public events, Melbourne international exhibition 1880, Awards
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
109 mm (Width), 78 mm (Height)
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Maximum dimensions
1 mm (Length), 107 mm (Width), 78 mm (Height)
Measurement From Conservation.
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References
1882. Melbourne International Exhibition 1880-8881. Official Record, Melbourne: Mason, Firth & M'Cutcheon. Graham Forsdyke, "Davis's hard-won medal in Australian shoot out", International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society [Link 1]
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Keywords
Advertising, Exhibitions: Melbourne International, 1880-1881, Royal Exhibition Building, Sewing Machines