I am much gratified that my limited exhibit of wood articles met with such appreciative consideration by the jurors.1 Please inform the Exhibition Commissioners that these wood books and the turneries can remain in Launceston, where our friend Mr Morton is forming a local museum, for which these articles would likely prove acceptable.2 Indeed, it might be possible to extend by local efforts the small imitation library by having similar wood books made in Tasmania from native trees. The wood books are from an original design of my own. I might hereafter, when I come to prepare wood books for the Chicago Exhibition, desire some sorts of woods obtainable only in Tasmania to be sent to me in a crude state for working up for that occasion.3
M was given a 'Special first award' for his samples of woods: 'The jurors desire to place on record the excellent manner in which the various woods of the Colonies have been exhibited by Baron Von Mueller' (Tasmanian International Commission (1893), p. 87).
The wood books are retained in the collection of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, and 13 images are available; see https://collection.qvmag.tas.gov.au/fmi/webd/QVMAGweb (accessed 5 May 2026).
Only NSW of the Australian colonies participated in the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago (Douglas (2008)).
Letter not found. The text given here is from 'Exhibition notes', Launceston examiner, 27 February 1892, p. 6. It is introduced by 'Baron Von Mueller has written to Mr D. Fergus Scott as follows:-'.
Fergus Scott was the Victorian representative at the Exhibition.
Please cite as “FVM-92-02-00m,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on