Internationale wedstrijd van sommige fabrikaten en werktuigen, tijdens de tentoonstelling van Nederlandsche en koloniale nijverheid te Arnhem, penning uitgereikt aan bestuur en jury 1879

This is a medal made in 1879 by Jacob Samuel Cohen Elion, awarded to the board and jury during the Dutch and Colonial Industry Exhibition in Arnhem. The medal presents two faces of the Netherlands at the height of its colonial power. On one side is a classical allegory of the Netherlands, a woman in Greco-Roman garb standing next to symbols of Dutch industry, such as a cogwheel. Standing next to her is a representative of the Dutch colonies. The other side of the medal depicts the Arnhem skyline with the sun rising above it, indicating the Netherlands as a colonial power with a bright future. Zoom in to notice a beehive in the center. This is a traditional symbol of industry and collaboration. As the medal was given out during an industrial exhibition, it reflects the Netherlands’ drive for industrial and colonial expansion. These kinds of historical objects require that we use the archive to understand them. What were the political and economic motivations behind colonialism, and how did institutions support and encourage them? By addressing these questions, we can better understand the meaning and significance of this medal.