The plaquette's obverse bears lovingly detailed, massive turbo generator before city skyline. Around cupola top, WORLD POWER CONFERENCE / 1936; across exergue, TURBO-GENERATOR-CAPACITY 160.000 K·W· 1936 / CONSOLIDATED EDISON COMPANY OF NEW YORK, INC·; signed above exergue at right, R. P. Chambellan Sc.
The reverse bears street view of Edison's first generator central station with laurel wreath at top left and tree at right. Across bottom, FIRST EDISON CENTRAL STATION - 1882 / 6 GENERATORS-TOTAL CAPACITY 1200 H·P·
The World Power Conference was conceived by the Scotsman Daniel Dunlop in 1923. He organized the first meeting which took place in London in 1924 and attracted 1,700 attendees from 40 nations. It was deemed so successful that the conference was established as a recurring event.
In the beginning, the World Power Conference convened on a regular schedule every six years. The Third World Power Conference of 1936 met from September 7th to 12th in Washington, DC. President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the conference on September 11th and used a golden key to activate a small generator at the Builder Dam in Colorado.
In 1968 the name was changed to World Energy Conference and the conferences were scheduled every three years. In 1992 the group changed its name again and became known as the World Energy Council.
The year of 1936 also marked the rebranding of the New York Edison Company to Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. This is probably the reason that this handsome plaquette was issued on the occasion of the conference. From the humble beginnings of the first power plant on Pearl Street in 1882, the company would eventually grow into a behemoth with approximately $13 billion in annual revenue and $47 billion in assets by 2016.
This is a beautiful Machine Age gem by Chambellan. I admit that I am partial to detailed renditions of technology, but Chambellan masterfully combined the machinery in the foreground with a city skyline and subtle sun rays in the background. The overall effect is pleasing and powerful at the same time.
The plaquette measures 114.4mm x 84.2mm and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.
References: MACo 1936-042