The obverse bears profile of Otto Ernest Braitmayer r. Around, OTTO ERNEST BRAITMAYER FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY; below 1929; signed (WR monogram) in left field.
The reverse bears an open book with flames rising from pages in front of melange of tabulating and record-keeping images. Stylized sun with clock face in background, punchcard with numbers from 0 to 9 above. Around, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION; in exergue, AWARDED TO / DR. J. POLAK
The edge is marked MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. ©
The medal was commissioned by IBM to honor Otto Ernest Braitmayer upon his retirement from the company. By 1929 Braitmayer had been with IBM for forty years and had accumulated the most years of service in the budding industrial giant. Braitmayer had started working for Hollerith in 1889 at the age of 15 and worked his way up from office boy to secretary and office manager while obtaining a law degree at night. When Thomas Watson arrived, he quickly adopted Braitmayer as his right-hand man and by 1922 he had been promoted to assistant general manager of the important Tabulating Machine Division.
The circular medal was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.
References: MACo 1929-003