REPORT 



OF THE BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE THIRTY-FIRST ANNUAL FAIR OF 



THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE, 



The Board of Managers of the Thirty-first Annual Fair, in pur- 

 suance of the 29th section of the by-laws, respectfully 



REPORT : 



That the board held its first meeting on the 28th of February, 

 •1859, and was organized by the election of David R. Jaques, 

 chairman, and John W. Chambers, secretary. A by-law was sub- 

 sequently adopted by the board, providing for two secretaries, 

 and Mr, Chambers was accordingly elected the recording, and Mr. 

 William B. Leonard, the corresponding secretary. 



It is made the imperative duty of the Board of Managers, 

 " unless otherwise ordered by the Institute," to hold in the autumn 

 of each year " a fair in the city of New York, embracing an exhi- 

 bition of the products of agriculture, commerce, manufactures, 

 and the arts, a cattle show, embracing pure breeds and farming 

 stock, a testing of plows, and a spading match." 



Having received no direction to the contrary from the Institute, 

 the managers felt that they had but one course to pursue, and 

 determined at once to hold the fair, although circumstances of 

 peculiar discouragement furnished grounds for some misgivings, 

 as to the pecuniary result. 



Fire had swept from the earth, in half an hour, on the 5th of 

 October, 1858, the Crystal Palace, and the vast collection of arti- 

 cles of American art and industry, which were on exhibition at 

 our last annual fair, snatching from us, at the moment when the 

 exhibition had reached its highest point of interest, and the 

 receipts gave promise of the most satisfactory results, the fruits 

 of many days and months of labor and of anxiety, and at the 

 same time destroying an edifice which the Institute had secured 

 by lease for the two succeeding years — a building as beautiful in 

 its design and proportions as it was unique in its materials and 



