Jeno Juszko

References:   MACo 1912-G1

References:   MACo 1912-G2

The galvano plaque bears portrait of moustachioed, older man, three quarters facing. Signed on truncation, Juszko 1912

While I could not definitively identify the subject of this plaque, I managed to locate a Medallic Art Company medal from 1913 in the ANS archives that has a very similar portrait differing only in details. It bears the legend "FAUST - DER MEPHISTO."  This makes me believe that the subject is an opera singer who performed as Dr. Faust at the Metropolitan Opera. 

The circular plaque measures 101.8mm in diameter.

The medal's obverse bears a muscular male figure carrying an unconscious female figure in both arms. Signed above exergue at right, J. Juszko

The medal's reverse bears tree with legend across:  THE BRITTON - I. BUDD / MEDAL - FOR THE / SAVING OF / HUMAN LIFE; in cartouche below, inscribed to EMMETT McSHANE

Britton I. Budd (1871-1965) was dubbed the "electric railroad magnate" of Chicago.  He was Samuel Insull's right-hand man and very good at running transportation and infrastructure companies.

The medal was first awarded in 1926 but I have found newspaper articles from as late as 1952 that mention the award. 

Emmett McShane was a resident of Waukegan, Illinois, and received his award in 1928.  I could not ascertain the act of valor that caused him to receive this medal.

The circular medal measures 89mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York.

References:   MACo 1926-025

References:   MACo 1929-017

The medal's obverse bears bust of Oskar Barnack facing three quarters right. Around bottom, OSKAR BARNACK - LEICA INVENTOR; at top right, 1879 / 1936; signed under truncation, (J / J. monogram)

The medal's reverse bears laurels and palm frond flanking LEICA / EXHIBIT / AWARD / OF / MERIT; inscribed, 19 / GAIL GORDON / PITTSBURGH / 38

The edge is marked with MEDALLIC ART CO. N.Y. BRONZE

This medal celebrates the life of Oskar Barnack (1879-1936), the inventor of 35mm photography. Barnack was an avid hobby photographer who suffered from asthma. Due to his poor health he had trouble carrying the heavy and bulky camera equipment around with him, so he invented a more portable camera. The Leica brand was born in 1925 when his employer (Ernst Leitz) took a gamble and produced 1,000 cameras for sale to the public. They chose "Leica" as the brand name. The name was derived from Leitz camera.

On the hundredth anniversary of Barnack's birth, World Press Photo instituted the Oskar Barnack Award; this award is now administered by Leica Camera.

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

References:   MACo 1936-010

References:   MACo 1939-011

The medal's obverse bears George Westinghouse, facing right, bent over desk with stylus in his hand. Around top right, GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE CENTENNIAL; across, 1846 / 1946

The reverse bears imagery of industries in which Westinghouse's inventions played a role arrayed around center field; from top left, flight, locomotives, power plants and industrial machines, communications, both wired and wireless. In center field, COMMEMORATING / THE LIFE AND WORK OF / GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE / WHO KNEW THE SCIENTIFIC / USE OF IMAGINATION

George Westinghouse (1846-1914) was an American entrepreneur and engineer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who invented the railway air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry, gaining his first patent at the age of 19. Westinghouse saw the potential in alternating current as an electricity distribution system in the early 1880s and put all his resources into developing and marketing it, putting him in direct competition with Edison's direct current system.

The medal's obverse was designed by Jeno Juszko whereas the reverse was designed by Rene Chambellan.  Juszko was certainly more of a specialist of portraits and Chambellan excelled at machine age imagery, so that was a good co-production.

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

References:   MACo 1946-029

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Harvey S. Firestone, facing. To left and right, HARVEY S. / FIRESTONE - FOUNDER

The reverse bears ten scenes relating to Firestone's business arrayed around center field, from rubber tapping at top, to various vehicles, chemical reaction vessels, to airplane.  In centerfield, 50 YEARS / OF / FIRESTONE / SERVICE / 1900 - 1950

Harvey S. Firestone (1868-1938) was an American businessman, and the founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, one of the first global makers of automobile tires.

After graduating from Columbiana High School, Firestone worked for the Columbus Buggy Company in Columbus, Ohio before starting his own company in 1890, making rubber tires for carriages. In 1900 he soon saw the huge potential for marketing tires for automobiles and then founded the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, a pioneer in the mass production of tires.

Dick Johnson reports that the medal's obverse was designed by Jeno Juszko but the reverse was designed by Don de Lue! Based on the reverse's subject matter and the style I would have guessed Rene Chambellan, but never Don de Lue.

The medal's edge is drilled at top and bottom so that it can be installed in a spinner, which was a popular display style for industrial commemoratives in the middle of the 20th century.

The circular medal measures 69.4mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.  No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1950-016

The medal's obverse bears bust of Henry A. Petter, facing. Around top, HENRY A. PETTER; at lower left, FOUNDER / 1860 / 1933; signed at right, J.J.

The reverse bears wreath at bottom. Around top, HENRY A. PETTER SUPPLY CO.; across, SEVENTY-FIFTH / ANNIVERSARY / 1890 1965 / (rosettte) / PADUCAH / KENTUCKY

Henry A. Petter (1860-1933) started his company on the banks of the Ohio River in Paducah, Kentucky. When Petter Supply started, its primary focus was on the Marine Industry. Since that time, Petter Supply has become a full line Industrial Distributor. As of 2017, the company was still family-owned and operated, with a fourth generation family member in charge.

The medal is a reprise of an earlier 1940 design that celebrated Petter Supply's 50th anniversary.

The circular medal measures 76.3mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1965-007