Chester A. Beach

References:   Baxter 241

This massive plaque bears nude child in crucifixion pose with cloth draped over sex and Eagle with spread wings in support. Around top, CHILDREN'S YEAR; across lower left, APRIL 6·1918· / APRIL·6·1919·; signed around lower right, Beach

The Children's Year was a campaign laucnhed by the Children's Bureau to save 100,000 infants who would normally die from childhood diseases. The date was significant because it marked the first anniversary of America's entry into the First World War and this campaign was very much part of the national war effort.  The effort would include the registration of every child born, prenatal care for mothers, regular weighing and examination of babies, and the creation of a bureaucracy at the state and city level to support these measures.

The plaque represents the obverse of a medal, produced by the Medallic Art Company as well, that also commemorated the first Chidlren's Year.

The circular plaque is mounted on a large mahogany board. The galvano cast plaque itself measures 489mm in diameter and was produced by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No numbers are rported, but there can't be many of these.

References:   Baxter 243

References:   ANS 40, Baxter 321, MACo 1919-010, Marqusee 49

This medal's obverse bears worker about to strike snake on anvil with sledge hammer; mobile 8-inch army rifle on reinforced railroad car chassis in the background. Around, PRESENTED BY THE AMERICAN CAR AND FOUNDRY COMPANY; below, 1917-1918.

The reverse bears Columbia walking l. with palm frond; Statue of Liberty and sun in distance. On left, FOR SERVICE FAITHFULLY RENDERED; lower right, CB - JK.

The medal was presented to the company's employees for their faithful service during World War I. Accompanying the medal was a card containing the following message from William H. Woodlin, the President of the American Car and Foundry Company:

"The enclosed honor medal is awarded as an evidence of the appreciation by this Company of the work by you on its munition contracts, and as a lasting testimonial of the service rendered by you as an industrial soldier in the winning of the great war."

The signature CB - JK inidicates that the medal was a collaboration between Beach and Kilenyi (maybe design and sculpture) but I did not manage to find any evidence supporting the nature of their collaboration. Harry Waterson believes that Beach designed the medal and Kilenyi executed the bas-reliefs. His evidence is that there are design drawings and, according to him, "Beach could draw, Kilenyi couldn't."

This medal measures 63.5mm in diameter and was struck in bronze, silver, and 14k gold by the Gorham Manufacturing Company of Providence, RI. The silver variant is quite rare and the gold exceedingly rare but no mintages are reported.

According to a book about the company, a combined total of 7,500 pieces in all metals is believed to have been struck.

References:   Marqusee 52

The obverse bears five nude youths bearing father's bier. The youngest carries a laurel wreath. Around, IN PEACE SONS BURY THEIR FATHERS; at lower left, BEACH / © 1937.

The reverse bears a gaunt father carrying son's body from the battlefield as vultures circle. Around, IN WAR THE FATHERS BURY THEIR SONS.

The brochure which acommpanied the medal had the following words from the artist:

"The tought of the medal is a simple, universal one when men pause to think straight; for that reason I have designed the medal as of no particular period. The Greeks probably put it most tersely, 'In Peace the Sons bury the Fathers, in War the Fathers bury the Sons.' Are our young men to be buried almost before mature manhood, under long rows of stone crosses, or are they to round out their lives and in turn be buried in reverence by their sons in peace? A thought to keep well before our vision as present war clouds again surround us."

Chester Beach put it well but what were the old and the young men to do when young men in other countries were being led towards war by their leaders?

This medal was chosen as the 16th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1937. Struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York, the reported production quantity of this medal is 941 in bronze and 100 in silver.

References:   MACo 1930-001-016, Marqusee 51, SoM 16

References:   MACo 1939-023

References:   Baxter 240, MACo 1958-007