Exonumia Auction - Maine Antique Digest

Miscellaneous Tokens and MedalsLot 489 (reduced)TO /HAMILTON FISH ARMSTRONG/ A TRIBUTE/ TO HISQUARTER CENTURY OF/DISTINGUISHED EDITORSHIP/OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS/ FROM HIS FRIENDS/ IN THECOUNCIL ON /FOREIGN AFFAIRS.Armstrong (1893-1973) was the son of diplomat and artist, DavidMaitland Armstrong, who himself was the subject of a portraitrelief by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. He began his journalisticcareer at the New Republic and later served as editor of ForeignAffairs from 1927-72. A prolific author, his numerous booksincluded the best-selling Hitler’s Reich, the First Phase, publishedin July 1933.H144According to a solicitation letter from Allen Dulles, president ofthe Council On Foreign Affairs, to Herbert H. Lehman, there wereto be two casts of the plaque, one for Armstrong and one for theoffice of FOREIGN AFFAIRS. These were to be funded throughdonations from Armstrong’s extensive circle of friends rangingfrom $5 to $100. Manship’s fee for the work was around $1,400.This example is from the estate of Alexander Tatti, who ownedand operated a bronze foundry in New York City and was a friendof Manship. There are no foundry marks on the work but it maybe assumed that Tatti had fabricated the two commissioned castsand this, a third, with the approval of the artist. It was loanedin 2006 to the Cornish Colony Museum exhibition “ComingHome: A Retrospective Exhibit of Parrish, Manship, Faulkner andZorach,” which recognized the 40th anniversary of the passing ofthose four artists, and bears a museum label on the reverse. Forthe Manship aficionado, this is a singular opportunity to acquire arare prize. ($2500+)490. JOHN WESLEY HYATT MEDAL, 1950. 75.7mm. Silver. (6.22oz.) Paul Manship, Sc. (MACO) About Uncirculated with somespeckled tarnish on both sides.. Obverse: THE JOHN WESLEYHYATT AWARD FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF PLASTICSsurrounds a bust to the right of Hyatt (unsigned, but MACO recordsindicate is was sculpted by Manship.) The signed reverse has alaurel wreath surrounded by symbols of science and industry; aLot 490beaker on a tripod for science and research; a compass and trianglefor craftsmanship followed by the interlocking gears of industry.DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT around. Engraved at center:N. HOWELL FURMAN/ MEMBER/ AWARD COMMITTEE/1950.The award was initiated in 1941 by the Hercules Powder Company.Medals were struck in gold, silver and bronze. John WesleyHyatt was an American inventor who invented the fundamentalprinciple utilized in making celluloid. This award, the mostprestigious in the industry, consisted of a 3 inch gold medal anda thousand dollars. Silver medals were given to members of theAward Committee. N. Howell Furman was a respected professorof chemistry at Princeton. The gold medal that year was awardedto George M. Powell III of Union Carbide for his work withemulsion-polymerized resins. ($1500+)491. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES JESSESTEVENSON KOVALENKO MEDAL, (1952) Murtha 543.