Medals by Organization or Group

The medal's obverse bears Daedalus in flight, reaching for a star, his gossamer wings before large sun on star-strewn background; mountains below.  Along left and right edge, DAEDALUS - THE ARTIFICER

The reverse bears the guild's coat of arms with plough and tall ship in oval field, hand holding scales above, and palm fronds flanking. Around, ARTS & CRAFTS - GUILD - PHILADELPHIA; at bottom, MASTER / CRAFTSMAN / MEDAL

The Arts and Crafts movement was a social and aesthetic counterpoint to increasing industrialization and commoditization of work,  Arts and Crafts proponents sought to revitalize ideas of craftsmanship and artistic harmony in the areas of Architecture and Decorative Arts.  The Philadelphia Arts and Crafts Guild traces its roots back to several artist communities that were founded around the turn of the 19th century. The movement was already waning around the time of Workld War I.

The Arts & Crafts Guild of Philadelphia was organized in 1905 and formally incorporated in 1911. An entry in a directory shows the Guild having 115 members in 1914. The medal is unsigned and undated but the history of the Arts and Crafts Movement in Philadelphia makes it likely that it was designed in the late 1900's, maybe the early 1910's. Any further information would be highly welcome.

The octagonal medal measures 53.2mm x 69.9mm and was struck in bronze. No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears a galleon under full sail, facing half right. Around, YACHT · RACING · ASSOCIATION · OF · LONG · ISLAND · SOVND ☩

The reverse bears a wreath surrounding center field left empty for inscription.

The edge is marked BRONZE.

The Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound traces its roots back to a 1906 meeting of nine or ten avid sailors, including George Granberry, Harry Jackson, Dr. A.E. Black and J.W. Alker.  They had gathered in the Hotel Astor's yachting room and came up with the idea of the Handicap Yacht Racing Class of Long Island Sound.  From the humble beginnings of six boats competing on one class the association quickly grew to hundreds of boats racing in multiple divisions and classes.

While I could not track down a date for the first medal award I am fairly confident that medals were awarded early on in the association's racing history and have dated the medal in the 1900's.  A much more abstract (and much less expensive) version of the medal is still awarded today.

The circular medal measures 77mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by Tiffany & Co. of New York.

The plaquette's obverse bears draped, nude child on divan, printing press in background, brazier in foreground at left; two conjoined medals bearing Benjamin Franklin and Thomas L. De Vinne at right. At top, AND THE LIGHT CAME; at bottom right, DEGREE OF MASTER / OF ARTS CONFERRED BY / COLVMBIA AND YALE / VNIVERSITIES 1901; signed at left, V.D.BRENNER

The reverse bears four lines of legend in beaded and outlined border, · FRANKLIN · BIRTHDAY · DINNER · / · JANUARY · 17 · 1902 · / · TYPOTHETÆ · OF · THE · CITY · / · OF · NEW · YORK ·

The typothetae [of the City of New York] were the master type setters who took understandable pride in their craft and chose to celebrate a dinner with two great Americans as the "patron saints" of their profession: Benjamin Franklin and Theodore Low de Vinne.  Benjamin Franklin requires no introduction, but Theodore Low de Vinne might be a less familiar name.  De Vinne was a master typographer and typesetter who became famous for his "Century Roman" typeface and for being a co-founder of the Grolier Club.  He was also a founder and the first president of the United Typothetae of America, a predecessor of the Printing Industries of America.

The plaquette was struck in bronze and measures 64mm x 56.9mm.  No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears nude male figure seated on a bench, r., contemplating a canvas held in one hand, brush or pen in the other. Around, PENNSYLVANIA AC-ADEMY OF THE FINE ARTS; at right, FOUNDED / 1805; signed in exergue, H. LYMAN SAYEN

The reverse bears two bound laurel branches flanking inscription, THE / JENNIE SESNAN / PRIZE / IN . MEMORIAM / SARAH / CAZENOVE / ROBERTS / FOUNDED 1902

The Jennie Sesnan Prize was founded in 1902 by Elizabeth W. Roberts, who herself had been a student of the Academy and had won its Mary Smith Prize in 1880.  It was awarded for the best landscape painting at the Academy's annual exhibition and came with a generous moentary award of $100. Ms. Roberts commemorated both her late mother, Sarah Cazenove Roberts, and a model named Jennie Sesnan with whom Ms. Roberts had worked and whom she held in high regard.

The circular medal measures 44.4mm and was struck in bronze. No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears conjoined portraits of John Pintard and Egbert Benson, facing quarter left. Around left, JOHN PINTARD / FOUNDER; around right, EGBERT BENSON / FIRST PRESIDENT; signed around lower right, V.D.Brenner

The medal's reverse bears old and new buildings of the New York Historical Society with society's medallion supported by palm leaves at bottom, Around, · THE · NEW · YORK · HISTORICAL · SOCIETY · 1804 - 1904; under the horizontal separator between buildings, IT IS DELIGHTFUL / TO RECALL THE PAST

John Pintard (1759-1844) was an American merchant and philanthropist. He was orphaned at the tender age of 18 months and grew up with his uncle, Lewis Pintard.  He made his fortune in the China and East India Trade and lost it in Alexander Hamilton's scheme to fund the national debt. While he never recovered his former wealth, he regained comfortable financial status and founded or was active in many of New York's respected cultural institutions, among them the New York Historical Society, the American Antiquarian Society, the American Bible Society, and the Tammany Society. He was also active in the movement that lobbied for the construction and completion of the Erie Canal.  He was what we would call "a pillar of scoiety" and died highly respected in 1844.

Egbert Benson (1746-1833) was a lawyer, jurist and politician from Upper Red Hook, New York, and a Founding Father of the United States who represented New York in the Continental Congress, Annapolis Convention, and the United States House of Representatives. He served as a member of the New York State constitutional convention in 1788 which ratified the United States Constitution. He also served as the first Attorney General of the State of New York, Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court, and as a judge and Chief Judge on the United States Circuit Court for the Second Circuit. He is one of the Dutch Americans alongside John Jay to lead the American Revolution.

The circular medal measures 63.7mm and was struck in gold-patinated bronze. No mintage is reported.

References:   HSoNY 1904

References:   HSoNY 1905

The medal's obverse bears a beautifully modeled barefoot female figure, seated in rough chair, facing left, holding flowers or leaves in her hands as she seems lost in thought while looking at the surrounding gardens. Around top, THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF CHICAGO

The reverse bears a wreath of chrysanthemums surrounding engraved dedication.

The circular medal measures 69.5mm in diameter. Early medals had a clear edge and it is uncertain where they were struck. Later, the contract was awarded to the Medallic Art Company and they edge-marked the medals accordingly.  They also struck the medal in at least one other metal (nickel silver).

References:   Marqusee 344-345