All Medals

References:   CoF 9, Marqusee 327

References:   MACo 1932-025, Marqusee 169

The medal's obverse bears four segments, each representing a season with a circular field depicting a courting couple. Signed at bottom of lop left segment, (dA monogram)

The reverse bears calendar panel framed by four simecircular fields representing seasons. At top, two circular fields framing Fall field, 19 - 85

The circular medal measures 76mm in diameter and was struck in gold-plated bronze by the Franklin Mint. No mintage is reported.

References:   Cal FM-1985

References:   ANS 28, Baxter 253

The medal's obverse bears three draped female figures in the process of sculpting, drawing, and painting. Around, NATIONAL · ASSOCIATION · OF · WOMEN · ARTISTS; below, . FOUNDED 1889 .

The reverse bears a stylized sun in field at top. Below, AWARDED TO / (empty field) / FOR / (empty field); signed to right of sun, (BP monogram)

The edge is marked MEDALLIC ART CO NY

In 1889 women were still barred from full membership in the male-dominated National Academy of Design. Five women, Grace Fitz-Randolph, Edith Mitchill Prellwitz, Adele Frances Bedell, Anita C. Ashley, and Elizabeth S. Cheever, were finally fed up with the status quo and founded the Women's Art Club. The organization flourished and in 1913 was renamed the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors, reflecting its national influence and the increasing number of women sculptors. Through the 1920s the organization was sponsoring exhibitions nationally and abroad.

In the 1930s membership grew to over 1,000 and the organization opened its Argent Galleries on 57th Street in New York City. In 1941, the organization changed its name again to the National Association of Women Artists.

This medal is a redesign of an earlier version that had the same center image but the earlier name around the obverse's circumference.

The heptagonal medallion measures 70mm from side to side and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Its mintage is not reported.

The obverse bears reclining stag before flowering plants. Signed in exergue at right, G K LATHROP

The reverse bears bird, possibly a crossbill, perched on cone, working to extract seeds from it. Around, BROOKGREEN / GARDENS

This was the second of the prestigious Brookgreen Gardens member medals, issued in 1974.

The circular medal measures 76mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company. No mintage is reported.

References:   BG 2

The medallion's obverse bears portrait of Isidore Konti facing left. Around, ····· ISIDORE · KONTI ····· SCULPTOR ····· MCMXV

The reverse bears figures of old, toga-wearing man and boy holding lyre walking together towards right; bird behind them, sun above, all within beaded border. Around, · GUIDE · PHIL-OSOPHER · AND · FRIEND ·; signed under arm of older man at right, ·PAUL· / ·MAN / SHIP·

Isidore Konti (1862-1938) was a Vienna-born (of Hungarian parents) sculptor. He began formal art studies at the age of 16 when he entered the Imperial Academy in Vienna, where he studied under Edmund von Hellmer.  Konti moved to the United States sometime in the early 1890s where his skills were much in demand during the great international exhibitions.

Konti took the young Manship under his wings when he moved from Philadelphia to New York, right after he had finished his studies with Charles Grafly at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. In the years from 1908 to 1909 Manship worked as Konti's assistant. Konti encouraged him to submit his work and Manship became the youngest artist to win the American Prix de Rome. This set the stage for studies in Italy and Greece, and firmed up Manship's everlasting devotion to classical themes.

The circular medallion measures 90mm in diameter and was cast in bronze. The number of cast pieces is not known.

References:   Murtha 64

The medal's obverse bears crossed flagpoles with Japanese and American flags draped over middle, sprig of laurel on top; at bottom, two oak branches under Gorham hallmark of Lion passant, anchor, and Gothic G.

The reverse bears legend, PRESENTED · TO / THE · MEMBERS · OF / JAPANESE · COMMISSION / ON · THEIR · VISIT / · / TO / THE · GORHAM / MANUFACTURING CO / PROVIDENCE, R.I. / U.S.A. / OCT. 22 . 1909

In 1909, Eiichi Shibusawa led the Japanese Commercial Commission visit to the United States. This group of fifty business leaders met with chambers of commerce in major cities across America including Seattle, Portland, New York, Denver, Los Angeles, and obviously also visited the factory of Gorham Co. in Providence, Rhode Island. Meetings with American leaders like financier J.P. Morgan, inventor Thomas Edison, and President William Howard Taft completed the schedule.

It is believed that Japanese and American business leaders were desperately seeking to emphasize their common commercial interests in the midst of rising political and racial tensions between their two countries.

The circular medal measures 55mm in diameter and was cast by the Gorham Manufacturing Company of Providence, Rhode Island.  No mintage is reported but the fact that this medal was presented only to visiting commission members and cast instead of struck indicates a very small number, probably around 50.

Images of the bronze medal courtesy of Stack's Bowers Galleries, www.StacksBowers.com.

References:   MACo 1966-019