The other Saint Gaudens brother
Weiss
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@ffcoins posted something interesting in @markelman1125 's gold coin thread: Looks like a medal in a series of Saint Gaudens coins. @markelman1125 identified the display at being in Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.
Wanting to see a close-up of the medal, I visited the MFA website and searched on Saint Gaudens.
That search turned up an interesting item...by Louis Saint-Gaudens, younger brother of Augustus.
Benjamin Franklin Bicentennial Medal
Designed and engraved by: Louis St. Gaudens (1854–1913)
With: Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American (born in Ireland), 1848–1907)
Cast by: Tiffany & Co. (American, active 1837–present)1906
DESCRIPTION
Cast bronze medal with a leather pouch.
Obverse: Left profile, relief portrait-bust of Benjamin Franklin commemorating 200th anniversary of Franklin's birth, with raised dates of Franklin's life: 1706-1790 and inscription: .PRINTER . PHILOSOPHER . SCIENTIST . STATESMAN . DIPLOMATIST. Reverse: Seated figure of History inscribing on an oval, alongside her symbolic torch; standing at her feet are the figures of Literature, Science and Philosophy, each holding their respective symbols. Inscribed at top: . STRUCK . BY . ACT OF . THE . CONGRESS . OF . THE . UNITED . STATES . At bottom: . TO . COMMEMORATE . THE . TWOHVNDRETH . ANNIVERSARY . OF . THE . BIRTH . OF . BENJAMIN . FRANKLIN . M.C.M.V.I.
If I'd known about Louis, (who later changed his last name to St. Gaudens in a pretty weak effort to differentiate himself from Augustus), I'd forgotten about him. He was a renowned artist in his own right. From Wikipedia:
_Louis received his early training as a cameo cutter from his brother, who later assisted him in beginning his art studies in Rome. In 1878 he and his brother Augustus moved to Paris where they shared a studio and attended the École des Beaux-Arts. Louis studied at the École from 1879 to 1880.
For the rest of his life, Louis Saint-Gaudens not only worked as his brother's assistant but also pursued commissions of his own. He sculpted major pieces for the Boston Public Library; the Church of the Ascension, New York; The Brearley School, New York; Union Station, Washington, D.C.; U.S. Customs House, New York; St. Louis Art Museum; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; New York Life Insurance Company Building, New York; the Joseph Francis U.S. Congressional Medal; and the Benjamin Franklin Centennial Medal of 1906 (see above).
The over fifty sculptures that Saint-Gaudens completed for Washington, D.C.'s Union Station are considered his masterwork. He was a member of the National Sculpture Society._
I love the fact that this forum and natural curiosity keep expanding my knowledge and understanding of numismatics and art!
--Severian the Lame
Comments
Thank you for the information and the link... I was aware he had a younger brother, but did not realize the magnitude of his artistic contributions. Cheers, RickO
Never heard of Louis... Was he the other brother from another mother?
Thanks for sharing...…….info I was not aware of.
PCGS has some beautiful images of the obverse and reverse:
https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1906-medal-baxton-81-ae-u-s-mint-benjamin-franklin-100mm/681926
--Severian the Lame
@Weiss Interesting! I don’t recall seeing that medal; I will have to go back and look for it. The medal in the center of the St. Gaudens display I posted is by Frances Grimes, and is called “Presentation Medal for the Women’s Auxiliary of the Massachusetts Civil Service Reform Association” (1904-06).
@ffcoins , this is the medal I meant. This was apparently designed by Saint Gaudens to give as gifts to those who honored him with a huge party to celebrate his 20 years in Cornish, NH:
--Severian the Lame
@Weiss Ah yes, the flashier piece
According to the MFA write-up, these were given out in silver to all the guests of that party, but this gilt version belonged to Frances Grimes.
*edit: I was confused on your first post as the write-up refers to this as a plaquette
In revisiting my photos, I also came across a St. Gaudens design for the one cent from 1907 (sorry for the poor quality). Imagine if we’d had that instead of the Lincoln!
Thank you for sharing this part of history
Wikipedia has a short article on the brother, and it sounds like an older brother took good care of a much younger brother over many years. Based on photos on Wikimedia, the younger brother did have some talent too.
The Cornish Masque Plaquette is very cool. I have seen this up close and even handled it in person. Here is the one that is at ASGNHS along with the plasters for the cent model.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Now you know what to name your son's little brother...
Good thread. Thanks.
Great info, thanks for sharing. Being a collector of $2.5 Indians, I love the bag that went along with the medal!