Rene P. Chambellan

The medal's obverse depicts factory floor scene with two workers operating a casting furnace.  Around, · 1899 - FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY - 1949 ·  / CHICAGO MALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY

The medal's reverse bears vertical line of laurel leaves at left. Across, 50TH ANNIVERSARY / (five stars) / FIFTY YEARS IN / A SINCERE EFFORT / TO GIVE COMPLETE / SATISFACTION BY / IMPROVING OUR / PRODUCTS AND / BETTERNG OUR / SERVICE.

References:   MACo 1949-002

The medal's obverse bears group of three figures; male figure at left, representing industry is seated on an anvil and holds gear wheel and hammer; center female figure, representing public health, is holding caduceus and checmical reaction vessel; female figure at right, representing agriculture, is holding bundles of grain and a sickle. Around, APOTHECARIES HALL COMPANY / 1849 · CENTENNIAL ·  1949; signed at right under wheat, (RC monogram)

The medal's reverse bears view of the Apothecaries Hall Company's original building with horse-drawn cart to its left. Across, ORIGINAL ·  BUILDING · · 1849 / IN COMMEMORATION / OF A CENTVRY OF SERVICE TO / INDUSTRY, AGRICULTURE, AND PVBLIC HEALTH

References:   MACo 1949-012

The medal's obverse bears view of Hotel Commodore in New York City.  In exergue, HOTEL / COMMODORE / NEW YORK CITY

The reverse depicts an open door flanked by shrubbery. In exergue a quote by Emerson, "Happy is the house / that shelters a friend" / Emerson

The Commodore Hotel s located directly east of the Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It opened on January 28, 1919.

Herbert R. Stone, of the New York State Realty and Terminal Company, oversaw the decor of its 2,000 rooms. The lobby, called the "Most Beautiful Lobby in The World," was the single largest room in the hotel, with modern low ceilings and a waterfall designed by John B. Smeraldi. A group of conventioneers once told Bowman that "New York City was like a circus," so the next day Bowman, ever a showman, arranged to place a circus, complete with elephants, in the grand ballroom. Another popular spot was the Century Room, which boasted its own orchestra.

On May 11, 1977, the now-bankrupt railroad's asset manager, Victor Palmieri, told the city that the Commodore had lost $1.5 million in 1976 and might have to be shuttered. At that point, the Trump Organization, partnered with the Hyatt Corporation, bought the Commodore.

At a cost of $100 million, Donald Trump gutted and renovated the building.  On September 25, 1980 the hotel reopened as the Grand Hyatt Hotel New York. The Trump-Hyatt partnership would last for another 13 years before it ended in legal suits and countersuits. In 1996 the Pritzker family finally bought the Trump share for $146 million.

The circular medal measures 76.2mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1950-017

The plaque depicts nude male figure, striding left, bearing torch and palm frond; behind him, rearing Pegasus and disc with SAFETY legend. Around top, ROHM & HAAS SAFETY AWARD; in exergue, AWARDED TO THE EMPLOYEES OF THE / BRIDESBURG PLANT / INTERLPANT SAFETY CONTEST / 1954; signed above exergue at right, RENE CHAMBELLAN SC.

The company was founded in Esslingen, Germany, by Dr. Otto Röhm and Otto Haas in 1907. Haas moved to Philadelphia and began the American side of the business on September 1, 1909, from an office on Front Street, while Otto Röhm remained in Germany to run a company that would eventually become Röhm GmbH.  The American side of the business grew rapidly and its annual revenue in 2008 reached almost $9 billion. In 2009, the Dow Chemical Corporation acquired Rohm & Haas, ending its independence.

The plaque was awarded to Rohm & Haas plants that had achieved outstanding results in attaining the company's objectives in industrial safety.  Usually, this meant an entire year of operations without an accident that caused the loss of work time due to injury. The plaque depicted is dated 1954 and that is the earliest mention of the award I could find.  While I can't know for sure, I would date the plaque to the early 1950's. Any additional information would be appreciated.

The plaque is cast in coppery bronze and measures 273mm x 395mm. No mintage is reported though it was still being awarded in the 1970's, so there must be quite a few of them around.

The medal's obverse bears busts of Martin L. Beistle, Henry E. Luhrs and J.S. Omwake. Around top, M.L. BEISTLE FOUNRER. H.E.LUHRS BUILDER. J.S. OMWAKE INCORPORATOR.; in exergue, THE BEISTLE COMPANY / FIFTIETH - ANNIVERSARY / 1900-1950

The medal's reverse bears selection of company's products, including toys and combed tissue decorations. In center field, TO FRIENDS OF / THE BEISTLE COMPANY / IN APPRECIATION OF YOUR / LOYALTY AND SUPPORT / WHICH MADE POSSIBLE OUR / FIFTY YEARS / OF SERVICE AND GROWTH / 1900 - 1950

The Beistle Company was founded in 1900 by Martin Luther Beistle.  Working in the basement of his home near Pittsburgh, he produced small imprints and calendars. The company still exists today.

The circular medal was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.

References:   MACo 1948-002

The uniface medal bears mountain goat facing right within bold geometric border.  Around top, CAPRICORNUS; in small exergue at bottom, © MACO 1967

Chambellan's Zodiac medals were issued more than a decade after his death and are probably based on designs he made in the early 1930s when he was working on the RKO Roxy Theater.  The 1960s saw renewed interest in astrology and the signs of the zodiac arising in part from the counter-cultural hippie movement and its subsequent adoption into mainstream culture.

Capricorn is the tenth astrological sign in the zodiac, originating from the constellation of Capricornus. It spans the 270–300th degree of the zodiac, corresponding to celestial longitude. Under the tropical zodiac, the sun transits this area from December 22 to January 19 each year, and under the sidereal zodiac, the sun transits the constellation of Capricorn from approximately January 16 to February 16.

In astrology, Capricorn is considered an earth sign, negative sign, and one of the four cardinal signs. Capricorn is said to be ruled by the planet Saturn. Its symbol is based on the Sumerians' primordial god of wisdom and waters, Enki, with the head and upper body of a goat and the lower body and tail of a fish. Later known as Ea in Akkadian and Babylonian mythology, Enki was the god of intelligence (gestú, literally "ear"), creation, crafts; magic; water, seawater and lakewater.

The circular medal measures 69.7mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1967-151-001

The uniface medal bears kneeling nude female figure with dove resting on her left hand within geometric pattern border.  Downwards at left side, VIRGO; along border at right bottom, MACO © 1967

Chambellan's Zodiac medals were issued more than a decade after his death and are probably based on designs he made in the early 1930s when he was working on the RKO Roxy Theater.  The 1960s saw renewed interest in astrology and the signs of the zodiac arising in part from the counter-cultural hippie movement and its subsequent adoption into mainstream culture.

Virgo is the sixth astrological sign in the Zodiac. It is the second-largest constellation spanning between 150 and 180 degrees of the zodiac. Under the tropical zodiac, the Sun transits this area on average between August 23 and September 22, and under the sidereal zodiac, the sun transits the constellation of Virgo from September 17 to October 17.

Individuals born during these dates, depending on which system of astrology they subscribe to, may be called Virgos or Virgoans. The symbol of the maiden is based on Astraea. In Greek mythology, she was the last immortal to abandon Earth at the end of the Silver Age, when the gods fled to Olympus – hence the sign's association with Earth.

The circular medal measures 69.8mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company. No mintage is reported. 

Like the other zodiac medals in this series it is struck in very high relief. At least one of Chambellan's zodiac medals has a silver variant but at the time of this writing I have not encountered any variants for this medal.

References:   MACo 1967-151-009

References:   MACo 1967-151-003