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The medal bears seated female figure, r., with rearing Pegasus behind her. At her feet, FOR / MERIT; signed around top right, · U · ELLERHUSEN
This design was used for the obverse of many art awards and probably goes back to the early 1920's. The first medal documented by Dick Johnson that bears this motif is dated 1924.
The circular medal measures 88.8mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.
References: MACo 1936-026
This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | MEDALLIC ART CO. N.Y. BRONZE |
| diameter | 88.8mm |
| weight | 283.8g |
| mintage | unknown |
The medallion's obverse bears a tall ship under full sail, half left, followed by other ship on horizon. Below, FROM / W. R. GRACE & CO. / WILLIAM J. CASHiN / 1965 / IN RECOGNITION OF / 20 YEARS OF LOYAL SERVICE
The medallion's reverse bears the American double continent with shipping lines, surrounded by modern images including skyscrapers, freighter, industrial installations, plantations, and an airplane.
W.R. Grace and Company was founded in 1854, in Peru, by William Russell Grace, who left Ireland due to the potato famine, and traveled to South America with his father and family. He went first to Peru to work as a ship's chandler for the firm of Bryce and Company, to the merchantmen harvesting guano, used as a fertilizer and gunpowder ingredient.
His brother Michael joined the business and in 1865 the company name was changed to Grace Brothers & Co. The company set up head office operations in New York City in 1865. Working in fertilizer and machinery, the company was formally chartered in 1872, and incorporated in 1895.
The circular medallion measures 88.6mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York.
References: MACo 1937-019
This section contains a table of detailed variant information. Currently, I am only aware of 2 variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any others or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | MEDALLIC ART CO. N.Y. |
| diameter | 88.6mm |
| weight | 259.6g |
| mintage | unknown |
| material | Silver |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 88.6mm |
| mintage | unknown |
This medal's obverse bears bust of Dickey in center field. To left and right, two panels of text vertically bordered by flowers. In exergue, WILLIAM JAMES DICKEY / 1814 - FOUNDER - 1896 / WM. J. DICKEY
The reverse bears two sheep in central field within ring bearing incuse legend 1838 W · J · DICKEY & SONS 1938 / ONE CENTURY; around, bearded angel and scenes from textile plant; at bottom, open book with flower over it; signed at bottom right, Louis Rosenthal
William James Dickey (1814 - 1896) was the founder of W.J. Dickey & Sons, a Maryland based textile manufacturing company. Founded in Baltimore in 1838, the company remained in business until 1972 when it ceased operations, probably during the demise of most of most U.S. American textile manufacturers due to global competition.
The circular medal measures 76mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Whitehead-Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey. No mintage is reported..
This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | WHITEHEAD-HOAG BRONZE |
| diameter | 76mm |
| weight | 182.4g |
| mintage | unknown |
The obverse bears stylized chemical vessel with wings and snake. Below, ABBOTT LABORATORIES
The reverse bears a hand reaching from bottom to stylized palette with allegorical representations of the secrets of life. In lower left quadrant, six alchemical symbols. Around, ABBOTT - CHANGING IDEAS - CHANGELESS IDEALS - 1888 - 1938
The edge is marked MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. - RAYMOND LOEWY. The side view shows the beautiful and complicated surface treatment.
Abbott Laboratories was founded in 1888 by Chicago physician Wallace Calvin Abbott as the Abbott Alkaloidal Company. At the time, he was a practicing physician and owned a drug store. His innovation was the use of the active part of a medicinal plant, generally an alkaloid (morphine, quinine, strychnine and codeine), which he formed into tiny pills which he called "dosimetric granules." This was successful since it allowed more consistent and effective dosages for patients.
By 1931 the company's overseas sales and reputation had grown and Abbott had to consider adjustments to its success, so it started its international expansion with its first international office in Canada. 1938, the 50th anniversary year, falls into the time when Abbott was still mostly an American company.
Raymond Loewy was a French-born American industrial designer who achieved fame for the magnitude of his design efforts across a variety of industries. He was recognized for this by Time magazine and featured on its cover on October 31, 1949.
This medal is unfortunately Raymond Loewy's only medallic design. In one small object it manifests all qualities that made him so famous. He was called "The Father of Streamlining" and the way he combines the mysteries and intricacies of alchemy with the clear lines of Streamlining and the bold abstractions of art deco is absolutely masterful.
The medal was sculpted by Rene P. Chambellan, one of the American masters of medallic art during the Art Deco period. It measures 70mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported but it appears to be quite rare.
References: MACo 1938-001
This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Gold- and and silver-plated bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | MEDALLIC ART CO. N.Y. RAYMOND LOEWY |
| diameter | 70mm |
| mintage | unknown |
This uniface variant's obverse bears a stylized tre with buds and birds. Around, · THE GARDEN CLUB · / OF AMERICA
The circular medal measures 74.8mm in diameter and was struck in bronze. No mintage is reported.
References: MACo 1938-007
This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 74.8mm |
| weight | 118.1g |
| mintage | unknown |
The obverse bears head of Dionysus above kylix with hands flanking it on left and right; sculptor's tools, lyre, books, and brushes around edge. Around Dionysus' head, SALMAGVNDI · CLVB
The reverse shows a female figure holding a scroll in one hand and a laurel in the other; sun over stylized waves to left, owl to right. Flanking figure, HONOR · ET / MERITVS; signed at bottom left, U·A·RICCI / SC
Every medal is edge inscribed to its recipient.
The Salmagundi is the oldest existing art club in America. Founded in late 1871 by a group composed of sculptors, painters, illustrators, an actor and a writer who gathered weekly to discuss art and sketch. Owing to their diverse backgrounds they adopted the name "Salmagundi Sketch Club" in 1877 after Washington Irving's Salmagundi Papers. The club moved about for many years, dropping the "Sketch" from their title in 1905, and finally settled for good at 47 Fifth Avenue in 1918. Their roster has included some of America's greatest artists including Edwin A. Abbey, William Merritt Chase, F. Childe Hassam, John LaFarge, Edward Potthast, Howard Pyle, Louis C. Tiffany and N.C. Wyeth.
The medal of honor and merit was designed in 1930 to be awarded to a member chosen by the Executive Committee for outstanding service to the club. This medal was designed around the same time that Paul Manship was designing his famous Dionysus medal for the Society of Medalists and the parallels in imagery are striking. The camaraderie of the club always focused around good food and especially drink. The first beer ever served on Fifth Avenue was at Salmagundi. The symbols of a book, lyre and tools for painting and sculpting allude to the diversity of the club's membership. The medal has been awarded 52 times since its inception.
The circular medallion measures 79.8mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.
References: MACo 1938-006
This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 79.8mm |
| mintage | unknown |
The obverse bears bust of Washington in uniform, left. Around, ONE · HUNDRED · AND · FIFTETH · ANNIVERSARY / 1789 · ANS (oak leaves) · 1939 ·
The reverse bears inscription within circle of thirteen stars: · TO · / · COMMEMORATE · / · THE · INAUGURATION · / · OF GEORGE · / · WASHINGTON / · FIRST · PRESIDENT · / · OF · THE · UNITED · STATES · / · APRIL · 30TH · / · 1789 ·
This medal was the 47th official issue of the American Numismatic Society.
This medal measures 63mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. The mintage was 38 pieces in silver and 95 in bronze. The mintage of silvered bronze pieces is not known.
Many thanks to the Yale University Art Gallery for making available the images of the bronze variant. You can see the original page here.
References: ANS 47, MACo 1939-055, 3000
This section contains a table of detailed variant information. Currently, I am only aware of 3 variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any others or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 63mm |
| mintage | 95 reported |
| material | Silver |
|---|---|
| edge6 | MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y - SILVER |
| edge12 | 13 |
| diameter | 63mm |
| weight | 126.1g |
| mintage | 38 reported |
| material | Silvered bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 63mm |
| mintage | unknown |
The obverse bears view of iconic Trylon and Perisphere; at upper right, a full length figure of George Washington emerges from cloud banks. At bottom, NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR / 1939; at right, ©
The reverse bears three panels; top panel shows Trylon and Perisphere over radiant sun; above, THE WORLD OF TOMORROW; the middle panel shows view of Manhattan skyline as seen from the World's Fair grounds with legend TODAY; bottom panel shows view of New Amsterdam with legend YESTERDAY; signed at top right corner of bottom panel, KILENYI
The edge bears the marks ROBBINS CO. / ATTLEBORO - BRONZE.
This was the official medal of the New York World's Fair of 1939-40. The 190m-tall spire-shaped Trylon contained the (at the time) longest escalator and the 54m-diameter Perisphere housed a diorama called "Democracity" which depicted an topian city-of-the-future. A moving sidewalk transported spectators past the exhibits.
A much rarer version of the medal exists in which the year is 1940 rather than 1939.
The medal measures 63.5mm in diameter and was struck by the Robbins Company of Attleboro, Massachusetts.
References: Marqusee 227
This section contains a table of detailed variant information. Currently, I am only aware of 2 variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any others or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | ROBBINS CO. / ATTLEBORO - BRONZE |
| diameter | 63.5mm |
| mintage | unknown |
| material | Silver-plated bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 63.5mm |
| mintage | unknown |
The medal's obverse bears the New York World's Fair motif of trylon and perisphere. To left of trylon, 1939; across, N - EW YORK / WORLD'S / FAIR.
The medal's reverse bears boy painting poster with World's Fair motif in front of eagle. Around, NATIONAL POSTER COMPETITION.
The National Poster Competition was officially announced on March 30, 1937 and was open to students throughout the United States. Participants could submit original poster designs for the New York World's Fair of 1939/40.
The medal was struck in bronze and silver, with the silver pieces being much rarer than those struck in bronze.
This medal measures 51mm (2in) in diameter and was struck by the Whitehead & Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey. No mintages are reported.
This section contains a table of detailed variant information. Currently, I am only aware of 2 variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any others or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 51mm |
| mintage | unknown |
| material | Silver |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 51mm |
| mintage | unknown |
The plaquette bears two female figures standing on pedestal; cloaked figure in back and holding mask of tragedy in outstretched arm to left, nude figure in front holding mask of comedy in outstretched arm to right. Along bottom, PASADENA PLAYHOIUSE; signed in tiny letters under pedestal, N.TOOR
The Pasadena Playhouse was started in 1916 when actor-director Gilmor Brown began producing a series of plays at a renovated burlesque theatre with his troupe "The Gilmore Brown Players." Brown established the Community Playhouse Association of Pasadena in 1917 that would later become the Pasadena Playhouse Association, which necessitated a new venue for productions.
The community theatre organization quickly grew and in May 1924, the citizens of Pasadena raised funds to build a new theatre in the city center at 39 South El Molino Avenue. Completed in 1925, the theatre was designed in a Spanish Colonial Revival style by Pasadena artist and architect Elmer Grey, with a fire curtain painted by Pasadena artist Alson S. Clark.
This little plaquette is a real gem. When you first look at the plaquette from a distance without knowing its subject, it almost seems to be a religious design. The female figures, probably representing the muses of Tagedy and Comedy, are posed such that they create yjr shape of a cross. The nude figure could be taken for Christ on the cross
Nishan Toor is only known to have made this one medal, which is a real shame because I would have liked to see more of his work.
The plaquette measures 42.4mm x 63.2mm and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.
References: MACo 1939-036
This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | MEDALLIC ART CO. N.Y. BRONZE (C) |
| dimensions | 42.4mm x 63.2mm |
| weight | 63.4g |
| mintage | unknown |