Medals Related to Mythology

References:   ANS 40, Baxter 321, MACo 1919-010, Marqusee 49

References:   ANS 38, Baxter 182, MACo 1919-003

The medallion's obverse bears portrait of Welles Bosworth facing left. Around, · WELLES · BOSWORTH · ARCHITECT · MCMXX · ; signed on truncation, · PAUL MANSHIP ·

The reverse bears kneeling, nude, winged female figure holding a column. To her right, running vertically, ΕΥΦΡΟΣΥΗ

William Welles Bosworth (1869-1966) was an American architect whose most famous designs include MIT's Cambridge campus, the AT&T Building in New York City, and the Theodore N. Vail mansion in Morristown, New Jersey.  Bosworth gave Manship his first big breaks after the artist had returned from the American Academy in Rome in 1912, chief among them a contract for much of the high profile decorative work for the AT&T building in New York City. 

The Greek letters on the reverse spell the name of one of the "Three Graces," namely "Euphrosyne."  In Greek mythology the Graces were thought to have been brought into the world to fill it with pleasant moments and good will. Euphrosyne is most closely associated with grace and beauty.

With this medallion Manship paid hommage to one of his big benefactors, something he did quite frequently early in his career.

The circular medallion measures 92.4mm in diameter and was cast in bronze. The number of pieces that were made is not known.

References:   Baxter 367, Murtha 125

The medal's obverse bears standing Athena/Minerva holding shield with one hand and oil lamp on pedestal with the other. In exergue, NATURAE SPECIES RATIOQUE

The medal's reverse bears six portrait busts, each surrounded by a wreath and labeled with last name: LAPHAM / PECKHAM / CHAMBERLIN / HOY / IRVING / ALLEN; below, THE WISCONSIN ACADEMY OF / SCIENCES ARTS AND LETTERS / 1870 - 1920; signed in bottom right corner, LC

The Latin phrase on the obverse translates to "Nature and her law." Athena, or Minerva in her Roman incarnation, is the goddess of wisdom and together with the oil lamp symbolizes the quest for knowledge and understanding.

References:   MACo 1920-003

The obverse bears Art Deco image of Bellerophon with lyre riding winged pegasus above sun. Around, ART DIRECTORS CLUB / INCORPORATED 1920.

The reverse bears painter with palette and brush in center. Around center, AWARDED FOR SPECIAL MERIT. Around edge, laurel wreath with (PM monogram) at bottom.

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

Louis Pedlar founded the Art Directors' Club of New York in 1920 in response to the uncertain relationship between advertising art and fine art. Pedlar assembled a group of art buyers, art department managers and layout artists to ponder whether advertising art could be judged by the same stringent standards as fine art.

Obviously the answer was "yes" because Paul Manship was asked to create a medal to be used as an award. Awards were given annually in the areas of black-and-white illustration, color illustration, oil painting, and poster art, though not always in all areas.

An article published in Printers' Ink Monthly outlines the process that was used:

"All mediums were given consideration; black-and-white, flat color, oil painting and decorative design. A rigid standard of selection was enforced, and the 300 pictures shown, selected from many thousands submitted, represented the best there is in advertiding design.

Both the organization and the award still exist but the medal was replaced by a modern cube in the 1970's.

The medal measures 54mm (2 1/8in) in diameter and were manufactured by the Medallic Art Company of New York.

References:   MACo 1921-07, Murtha 139

The medallion's obverse bears portrait of John Singer Sargent facing right. Around, JOHN S SARGENT; signed and dated under truncation, · PAUL MANSHIP / 1923

The reverse bears sword-wielding Perseus, facing right, holding Medusa's head over her decapitated body, Pegasus rearing in background. Around top, · PEGASUS · LIBERATED · ; around bottom, · P · M · TO · J · S · S · 1923 ·

John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) was an American artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian era luxury and an unerring eye for his subjects' character. He was born in Venice and spent much of his life as an expat in Paris and London.

Despite living on a different continent and being 30 years older than Paul Manship, the two artists were connected by a close friendship. They first met during one of Sargent's visits to the United States. Denman Ross of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts invited Manship to a luncheon with the visiting Sargent and the two artists connected. Manship admired the famous painter and Sargent apparently saw a kindred spirit in the much younger man.  When Manship moved his family to Europe in the early 1920s he spent a summer working in his friend's London studio.

Sargent sketched his friend Paul and Manship immortalized his friend John on this medallion. Manship even named his third child, his son John Paul, after his close friend.

The circular medallion measures 89mm in diameter and was cast in bronze. It is not known how many pieces were produced.

References:   Murtha 158

The medal's obverse bears female figure and Hermes with caduceus gazing at building; laurels and open scroll at their feet. In exergue, NEW CENTRE MARKET / NEWARK, N.J. / 1923; signed at left edge, KILENYI

The medal's reverse bears city view with cranes and steam shovel in foreground. In exergue, CLIFFORD F. MACEVOY CO. / BUILDERS / NEWARK, N.J.; signed just indside raised rim at 8 o'clock, J. Hansen

The revere was sculpted by V. Joan Hansen, an in-house designer for Newman, and was later reused for the 1925 Chicago Union Station Construction Insurance Medal.

The circular medal measures 63.4mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the J. F. Newman Company of New York. While no mintage is reported, Harry Waterson estimates it to be around 500 because the medal was a present at a dinner with 500 invited guests.  A bronze uniface variant with a diameter of 62.9mm exists in unknown mintage.

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Whitman, facing. Around, 1819 WALT · WHITMAN 1892; dated and signed across, 1925 - FINTA

The reverse bears Prometheus shackled to rock at ankle and wrist, with eagle attacking him from right, clawing at his side, beak raised towards his face. Around, AUTHORS · CLUB · MEMORIAL · FUND; signed and dated across, 1925 - FINTA

The circular medal measures 51.2mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.  No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1925-009

This medal's obverse bears nude male figure restraining rearing winged steed. Signed at right above exergue, (RCW monogram)

The medal's reverse bears facade of Brown & Bigelow building. At top of building, THE HOVSE OF QVALITY / BROWN & BIGELOW; zodiac symbols all around. Signed in exergue, RCWAKEMAN

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

The Allied Artists of America, Inc., as it is now known, was founded in New York City in the year 1914. The twelve original founders were Ernest Albert, Paul Cornoyer, Marshal Fry, Edmund Greacen, Arthur Powell, Walter C. Hartson, William R. Leigh, Frederick Mulhaupt, G. Glenn Newell, H. Ledyard Towle, H. A. Vincent and Jules Turcas. Its goal is to further the cause of contemporary American artists through its Annual National Open Exhibition in New York City, open to all members and non- members, demonstrations, lectures, awards at the Annual, slide program, a newsletter mentioning all activities of the Members and Associate Members and other cultural activities.

I am not quite sure how Brown & Bigelow came to be commemorated on the medal's reverse, but they likely were a big financial supporter of the organization or possibly underwrote the medal's production. The earliest reference to a Brown and Bigelow Award Medal that I could find dates to 1929.

The medal measures 63mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and gold by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1925-042

The medallion's obverse bears nude Mercury, head turned towards left. He is soaring above harbor, city skyline to left and large freighter approaching from right. At left and right, 1850 - 1925; signed around bottom right, ARTHUR LEE

The reverse bears anvil with scroll above surface. Around, THE WELL-BEING OF MEN IS FORGED ON THE ANVIL OF INDUSTRY / & MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE CHANNELS OF TRADE; above anvil, MARCH 28 · 1925; scroll inscribed with WALTER E. FREW

The edge is marked GORHAM CO FOUNDERS OFCI

The medallion celebrates the 75th anniversary of Lehman Brothers, a finance firm whose storied career came to an infamous end in 2008 when its bancruptcy declaration triggered a global financial crisis. In 1925, the year of this medallion's issue, Lehman Brothers had just added its first non-family partner and was rapidly becoming one of the premier investment banks of the world. Often working in conjunction with Goldman Sachs, they brought such giants as Sears, Roebuck & Co., Woolworth, Gimbel Bros., R. H. Macy, Studebaker and Goodrich Co. to market.

This particular medallion is inscribed to Walter E. Frew (1864-1941), who was Chairman of the Corn Exchange Bank and Trust Company from 1929 to his death in 1941. Lehman Brothers handled a large stock issuance for the company and this medallion was probably given to him as a deal memento.

Arthur Lee was called upon again twenty-five years later to create a medallion for Lehman's 100th anniversary. That later version was smaller but shared this medallion's general design, with the exception of different dates and a slightly different legend on the reverse. It was manufactured by the Medallic Art Company of New York.

The circular medallion measures 122mm in diameter and was cast in bronze and gold-plated by the Gorham Company of Providence, RI.