Theodore Low de Vinne

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Thodore Low De Vinne, half right; de Vinne's signature around edge.  Around, THE VNITED TYPTHETAE OF AMERICA / ORGANIZED - 1887; signed at left (JBB monogram)

The reverse bears organization's coat of arms over crossed palm and laurel branches. On streamer across, PRESENTED BY - THE UNITED TYPOTHETAE OF AMERICA / TO; in cartouche, HARRY P. PEARS / SIXTEENTH PRESIDENT / 1902; signed at lower right, DAVISON, PHILA.

The United Typothetae of America was the predecessor organization to Printing Industries of America, Established in 1887, it had no permanent headquarters until 1902 when an office opened in New York City. This medal might well have been awarded to Harry Pears on the occasion of the group's building inauguration.

The medal's sculptor and date are somewhat uncertain.  Dick Johnson lists Henry Kirke Bush-Brown as the medal's sculptor and dates the medal to around 1910. Yet the medal is signed with his son James' initials and has an engraved date of 1902. Unfortunately, if James really was the sculptor and the medal really was awarded in 1902 as the engraving suggests, we have another problem: James was only nine years old and could not have designed the medal. Maybe the father designed the medal and the son sculpted it and got to sign it and it was awarded retroactively.

Unless we choose to disregard all information, we are left with a medal dating to between 1900 and 1920 and at least one member of the Bush-Brown family as the medal's sculptor. Maybe a descendent of the artists can shed some light on the mystery.  For now, I have given the meal to the son because it bears his signature.

The circular medal measures 63.8mm in diameter and was struck by Davison of Philadelphia. No mintage is reported.

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.