All Medals

The obverse bears stylized chemical vessel with wings and snake. Below, ABBOTT LABORATORIES

The reverse bears a hand reaching from bottom to stylized palette with allegorical representations of the secrets of life. In lower left quadrant, six alchemical symbols. Around, ABBOTT - CHANGING IDEAS - CHANGELESS IDEALS - 1888 - 1938

The edge is marked MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. - RAYMOND LOEWY. The side view shows the beautiful and complicated surface treatment.

Abbott Laboratories was founded in 1888 by Chicago physician Wallace Calvin Abbott as the Abbott Alkaloidal Company. At the time, he was a practicing physician and owned a drug store. His innovation was the use of the active part of a medicinal plant, generally an alkaloid (morphine, quinine, strychnine and codeine), which he formed into tiny pills which he called "dosimetric granules." This was successful since it allowed more consistent and effective dosages for patients.

By 1931 the company's overseas sales and reputation had grown and Abbott had to consider adjustments to its success, so it started its international expansion with its first international office in Canada. 1938, the 50th anniversary year, falls into the time when Abbott was still mostly an American company.

Raymond Loewy was a French-born American industrial designer who achieved fame for the magnitude of his design efforts across a variety of industries. He was recognized for this by Time magazine and featured on its cover on October 31, 1949.

This medal is unfortunately Raymond Loewy's only medallic design. In one small object it manifests all qualities that made him so famous. He was called "The Father of Streamlining" and the way he combines the mysteries and intricacies of alchemy with the clear lines of Streamlining and the bold abstractions of art deco is absolutely masterful.

The medal was sculpted by Rene P. Chambellan, one of the American masters of medallic art during the Art Deco period. It measures 70mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported but it appears to be quite rare.

The plaque bears portrait of William Howard Taft. Above, THE PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETY DINNER; to left, FOR / WILLIAM / HOWARD / TAFT / ©; to right, (JF monogram) / JANUARY / XXI / MCM / XI

In 1899, an historian and native Pennsylvanian named James Barr Ferree, who was living in New York City, invited 55 fellow Pennsylvanians living in New York to join him for dinner at The Waldorf Astoria Hotel. While feasting on oysters and Delmonico steaks, they decided to form a group known initially as "The Pennsylvania Society of New York." Their goal was to establish a society "uniting all Pennsylvanians at home and away from home in bonds of friendship and devotion to their native or adopted state."

The following year, a visiting British journalist and Member of Parliament dropped in and entertained the diners with his stories. His name was Winston Churchill and thus began the tradition of inviting a guest speaker to the dinner.

In 1911, the 27th President of the Unites States, William Howard Taft, was the guest speaker. At the time of the dinner, Taft was halfway through his tenure as President.

The plaque measures 104mm in diameter. The design for this plaque was used for the souvenir ice-cream boxes that were distributed at the Twelfth Annual Dinner of the Society. The cast bronze plaques, mounted on an oak board, were offered to subscribers at $7.00 per copy.

The obverse bears horse in dressage stance. Signed at upper right with dragonfly-reminiscent (J monogram).

The reverse bears only text. In center field, SPRINGFIELD / MASSACHUSETTS / SEPTEMBER 27 - / NOVEMBER 29, 1981 / LOUISVILLE / KENTUCKY / JANUARY 11 - / FEBRUARY 28, 1982; around, · GLORIOUS HORSEMEN · / EQUESTRIAN ART IN EUROPE 1500-1800 / · MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS · / THE J.B.SPEED ART MUSEUM

The edge is marked © 1981 MACO - BRONZE

This medal accompanied a joint exhibition by the Museum of Fine Arts of Springfield, Massachusetts and the J.B. Speed Art Museum of Louisville, Kentucky.

The circular medal measures 73mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company. No mintage was reported.

Please contact me if you know the sculptor or have additional information about this medal.

This uniface medal's obverse bears bust of Brinton, left. Around top, (flower) DANIEL · GARRISON · BRINTON (flower); on left and right of bust, M·D·C· - C·C· / XCV - III·; signed at lower left, PARIS / (decoration) / (indecipherable) FLANAGAN

Daniel Garrison Brinton (1837-1899) was a doctor, archaeologist, and ethnologist. He studied at Yale, Jefferson Medical College, Heidelberg and Paris and served as a surgeon in the Union army dring the Civil War. He suffered a severe sun-stroke from which he never totally recovered during the Third Battle of Chattanooga. Among the many society's he belonged to was the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia, which commissioned this medal.

Ideologically he was a complicated man. Like many educated people of his time he advocated theories of scientific racism. Later in life he became an anarchist and outspoken critic of the society he lived in.

The medal is most commonly known to have a reverse that bears the Society's seal. As a two-sided medal it is part of the Marqusee collection and referenced under Marqusee 142. This uniface variant might be an artist's proof.

The circular medal measures 64mm in diameter and was struck in bronze.