MACO
Mostly kept from 1925-46, this small collection documents winners of MACO medals. The occasions and reasons for receipt varied widely but each of these medals tells the story of an incredible person and their contribution to American Society.
These photos offer a glimpse into the production process of the medals and provides insight into the number of people involved in the operation, how many different stages were needed, as well as simply lets us see the walls and machinery of the company—something that is often lacking from historical context.
Die Number: 1993-079Medal Name: Tyrannosaurus Rex Medal
Obverse:Type: Tyrannosaurus Rex in foreground; other dinosaurs and fauna with volcano in background
Reverse:Type: Tyrannosaurus…
Die Number: 1970-091-005Medal Name: Malcolm X Famous Black American Medal
Obverse:Legend: MALCOLM X | 1925 \ 1965 | FAMOUS BLACK AMERICANType: Malcolm…
Die Number: 1965-019Medal Name: Meshed Faces Medal
Obverse:Type: Pair of stylized busts facing each other with faces meshed
Edge:MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. |…
Die Number: 1938-001Medal Name: Abbott Laboratories 50th Anniversary Medal
Obverse:Legend: ABBOTT • LABORATORIESType: Winged beaker with snake
Reverse:Legend: ABBOTT \ CHANGING IDEAS…
Die Number: 1933-023Medal Name: George D. Pratt Medal
Obverse:Legend: GEORGE • D • PRATT • MEDAL • OF • ACHIEVEMENT \…
Die Number: 1929-076Medal Name: Holstein-Friesian Association Superior Merit Medal
Obverse:Legend: THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN ASSOCIATION \ OF \ AMERICAN | ORGANIZED \ 1871Type:…
Die Number: 1922-009Medal Name: Mexico-Brazil Century of Independence Medal
Obverse:Legend: MEXICO • AL • BRASIL • EN • EL • CENTENARIO…
Die Number: 1910-004Medal Name: Charlotte May Buffett Smith Plaquette
Obverse:Legend: CHARLOTTE MAY BVFFETT SMITH | 1871 \ 1906Type: Smith bust leftSignature:…
The origins of the Medallic Art Company began in 1902, when Henri Weil first gained employment with the Deitsch Brothers, makers of ladies’ leather handbags in New York City. His job was to cast decorative silver ornaments and trim. That same year, on a trip to Paris, Henri learned of the Janvier reduction machine and suggested that his employers purchase one. While there, he received training on the machine at the Janvier factory. In August, the machine is installed at the Deitsch Brothers factory, and the firm began to advertise their newly-acquired tool. By 1903, although he succeeded in making several finely-detailed patterns and cuts at a fraction of the price, the changing fashion of handbags required less-and-less ornamentation, and the firm deemed the machine useless.
for issuance. They have a design on one or both sides, and normally made of metal. They may be intended to be worn, suspended from clothing or jewelry in some way. They come in many sizes, from a fraction of an inch to several inches in diameter. Medallions are larger medals (generally four inches or larger) that are generally too large to be comfortably worn. They may be die-struck or cast in a mold. An artist who creates medals is called a medalist.
There are many, many approaches to create a piece of medallic art. The two primary methods split between cast and struck medals. This brief article describes the latter process—known as the bas-relief technique—as the basis of production used by the Medallic Art Co. (MACO).