ABSTRACT
Photography was just over a decade old in 1850, and its presence among the “ingenious” at industrial fairs rested on the fact that its roots were embedded in art, science, and industry. The photograph was an ideal machine-made artifact in an era which valued mechanism because it embodied both technical and hand skills. The basic goal of photographic exhibitors at industrial fairs was to show the proficiency of their respective skills and to attract viewers and potential buyers through the quality of the objects on view. The somewhat arbitrary placement of photographic displays was offset by the official recognition of photography within Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association’s carefully organized system of awards. The actual selling of the photographs in the Photographic Department at the 1864 Great Central Fair was handled by women volunteers provided from the Ladies Committee. The photograph as commodity for potential or immediate sale was at the core of some events.
