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Selma Burke Controversy Repost from ATS
MisterSmithGuesser
Posts: 102 ✭
I posted this ATS last week, but thought that I'd share it here as well...
I found this on eBay the other day for a dollar and couldn't resist buying it:
For those of you who don't know the connection between the Roosevelt dime and artist Selma Burke, I'll briefly sum it up:
Among the controversies surrounding the Roosevelt dime, there has been long-standing allegation that engraver John R. Sinnock copied or borrowed the Roosevelt profile from a bronze bas relief of FDR created by sculptress Selma H. Burke for the dime's obverse. Partially seen below, Burke's bas relief was sculpted in 1944 and and unveiled in September 1945 at the Recorder of Deeds Building in Washington, D.C., where it still hangs today.
The exact origin of this claim is currently unknown to this writer. But whether or not it was Burke who first made the accusation, it is clear that she was very unhappy with Sinnock and felt that she deserved the credit for the design. In a special tribute to the sculptress presented to the 103rd Congress in 1994, writer Steven Litt reported:
<< <i>Selma Burke, 93, has earned more honors in her long career than many other 20th-century American artists. She first garnered attention as a sculptor in the Harlem Renaissance, the burst of art, music and literature by blacks in New York during the 1920s and '30s. She later studied in Europe, founded an art school in New York and an art center in Pittsburgh, and was awarded nearly a dozen honorary degrees.
But one thing eludes her. It is credit for the portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt that appears on the dime, which was issued by the U.S. Mint in 1946.
The dime bears the tiny initials "JS," which stand for John Sinnock, the former mint chief engraver who, according to Burke, copied a bronze portrait plaque of Roosevelt created by Burke in 1944 for the Recorder of Deeds Office in Washington, D.C.
“I'm so mad at that man,” she says of Sinnock.
Officials at the mint say their records show Sinnock deserves full credit for the Roosevelt dime. But Burke isn't convinced. She says that because she is black, she will never get the recognition she feels she deserves.
“This has happened to so many black people,'' she says. “I have never stopped fighting this man and have never had anyone who cared enough to give me the credit.” >>
Litt continues:
<< <i>Burke and some scholars believe that Sinnock used her sketches and plaques to design the profile of Roosevelt that appears on the dime.
But Brenda Gatling, public information officer for the mint, says "both Ms. Burke and Sinnock did live sittings with the president. Historical records do not bear out Ms. Burke's statements that he copied her design. Those who could have provided eyewitness accounts have long passed on."
But Burke isn't discouraged. "Everybody knows I did it," she says. >>
Source: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-1994-12-20/html/CREC-1994-12-20-pt1-PgE25.htm
In general, Burke's image of Roosevelt is quite similar to the one found on the dime. Both are left-facing profiles that have the same angle of cut on the neck. However, this is where the similarities end.
A close look at both images reveal many subtle differences. Compare the two designs for yourself:
Here are just a few differences that I've noticed between Sinnock's Roosevelt profile and Burke's:
* Burke's bas relief seems to be, in general, proportionately different than the one found on the dime.
* Burke's profile appears to portray a younger looking Roosevelt than is on the dime.
* Burke's image does not show Roosevelt directly from the side as seen on the dime. Burke's bas relief shows a small bit of the right side of Roosevelt's face, the most obvious being the right eyebrow.
* Roosevelt's left eyebrow on Burke's bas relief is also “bushier” and more pronounced.
* The dime shows wrinkles radiating outward from the outer corner of Roosevelt's eye (crow's feet) while there are none on the Burke relief.
* The forelock of Roosevelt hair is a bit rounder on the dime and extends forward from the hairline, whereas Burke's design has the hair “slicked back”.
* The part in Roosevelt's hair is also different between the two images and Burke's design shows Roosevelt with a much higher hairline. There are also clear differences in the way the hair falls on Roosevelt's head.
* The back of the neck in Burke's design is much longer, and generally shows Roosevelt's neck as thinner.
* The ear lobe on Burke's bas relief is much more pronounced than on the dime.
* The curve of the nostril is much more pronounced than on the dime.
* The chin on Burke's bas relief is much rounder and extend further from Roosevelt's face than on the dime. Also Burke's profile does not feature a line on the chin as seen on the dime.[/list]Based on these observations, it seems quite clear to me that Sinnock did not copy from Burke's bas relief for his profile of FDR on the dime. However, in doing some further research into the controversy over the past few days, I was shocked to find so many who disagree.
Some sources even go as far as to give Burke the entire credit without even mentioning Sinnock. Example includes Burke's obituary as they were printed in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Seattle Times:
<< <i>Selma Hortense Burke, 94, of New Hope, the sculptor who created the profile of FDR used on the dime, died Tuesday at Chandler Hall, a nursing home and hospice in Newtown. The profile was taken from a bronze plaque she had made for a new federal building in Washington. The plaque, unveiled by President Harry S. Truman in 1945, was done from sketches made on butcher paper in a 45-minute session with President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House. She later sculpted that image into the profile on the dime. >>
Source: http://articles.philly.com/1995-09-01/news/25715829_1_fdr-new-hope-sculptures
<< <i>Selma Hortense Burke, the sculptor who created the profile of FDR used on the dime, died Tuesday at a nursing home and hospice near Philadelphia. She was 94. The profile was taken from a bronze plaque she had made for a new federal building in Washington. The plaque, unveiled by President Truman in 1945, was done from sketches made on butcher paper in a 45-minute session with President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House. >>
Source: http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19950901&slug=2139370
In fact, a Google search of “Selma Burke Dime -Sinnock” yields over 3.3 million results! (If you didn't know, putting a minus sign [-] before a word in a Google search will exclude results that contain that word.)
Encyclopedia.com says:
<< <i>The source of Roosevelt’s image on the dime has recently received much attention. John R. Sinnock, the chief engraver at the U.S. Mint, has his initials on the profile. The dime’s head, however, is merely a mirror image of the plaque created by Selma Burke, with the exception of a few detail changes in the arrangement of Roosevelt’s hair. Moreover, the National Archives and Records Administration of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park, New York, stated that the dime portrait originated with the sculpture of Franklin Delano Roosevelt done by Selma Burke. >>
Source: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Selma_Burke.aspx
Meanwhile, Encyclopedia.com does not even have an entry for John Sinnock.
Okay, but many if not most of these examples were probably not researched and written by numismatists or experts who were just basing their "facts" on what others have previously written. Surely an organization like the Smithsonian (which claims to be the world's largest museum and research complex) would have done a proper investigation into the matter. Right?
Think again.
With no mention of the controversy or Sinnock at all, The Smithsonian American Art Museum says of Burke in her biography:
<< <i>Sculptor and educator who received national recognition for her relief portrait of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, which was the model for his image on the dime. >>
Source: http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artist/?id=27983
So, what do numismatists have to say?
Walter Breen wrote:
<< <i>The illustrious black sculptor Selma Burke claimed that Sinnock adapted his design from her bas-relief of Pres. Roosevelt - Considering that Sinnock had also copied and signed John Frederick Lewis's design for the 1926 Sesquicentennial half dollar, Ms. Burke's claim is probably valid. >>
Perhaps the most compelling evidence that Sinnock did not steal from Burke is the fact that he had already created a few different inauguration medals featuring Roosevelt's profile dating back to 1933. The most notable for this argument is a medal designed by Sinnock for Roosevelt's third inauguration in 1941. The profile of FDR on the 1941 medal is a near copy of one of the initial design sketches Sinnock submitted to the Commission of Fine Arts for comments and approval of the Roosevelt dime obverse design. (Special thanks to Roger Burdette for permission to use the image of the composite sketch below.)
So, what the heck is going on?
Without mincing words, it is my opinion that many of the claims that Sinnock copied Burke's work is racially and politically motivated (excluding Breen's). The story that a white man working for the government stole from and uncredited an African-American female artist is an attractive anecdote for those looking to push their own agenda.
It does not seem unrealistic to suggest that Sinnock used all of the resources available at the time to assist him with the design; which may or may not have included Burke's design. However, it would also seem that Sinnock would not have needed to copy or borrow from Burke, especially considering that he had already created several different profiles of FDR for medals well before Burke's bas relief.
Seeing as Sinnock created his FDR profiles over a decade before Burke's work, one could also suggest that Burke used all available resources for the design of her bas relief; which may or may not have included Sinnock's medals.
Ultimately, I do not see any hard evidence that Sinnock stole from Burke, or vice versa. I believe that the similarities between Sinnock's dime and Burke's bas relief is the result of two very talented artists creating a realistic image of the same man.
The argument over who deserves credit for the obverse design of the Roosevelt dime may never be officially resolved. There seems to be only one person who can say for sure; and that is John Sinnock himself. Unfortunately, Sinnock died shortly after the release of the Roosevelt dime following an illness of several months in 1947.
It is my guess that Sinnock just used a combination of his own previous works, studies, and photographs of Roosevelt for his design. In particular, this one:
Churchill and Roosevelt in Marrakesh, French Morocco, January 23, 1943, following the Casablanca Conference
I don't know the original photographer. But this image is from FineArtAmerica.com. I first became aware of this photograph and it's possible connect to the dime from RichardsRoosveltReview.com. It's potential connection is mentioned there.
Look at those similarities:
Flipped horizontally:
Image overlay:
If it could be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, however, that Sinnock did not use Burke's bas relief to guide his design, I assert these accusations are defamatory. And to exclude Sinnock from the conversation completely, giving Burke all of the credit, is egregious.
P.S. I did not overlook the error on the piece that I got from eBay which says the FDR profile has been "used on U.S. Dime since 1945". Aside from the obvious missing word "the", the Roosevelt dime was released to the public on January 30, 1946. The mistakes just added nothing to my argument.
I found this on eBay the other day for a dollar and couldn't resist buying it:
For those of you who don't know the connection between the Roosevelt dime and artist Selma Burke, I'll briefly sum it up:
Among the controversies surrounding the Roosevelt dime, there has been long-standing allegation that engraver John R. Sinnock copied or borrowed the Roosevelt profile from a bronze bas relief of FDR created by sculptress Selma H. Burke for the dime's obverse. Partially seen below, Burke's bas relief was sculpted in 1944 and and unveiled in September 1945 at the Recorder of Deeds Building in Washington, D.C., where it still hangs today.
The exact origin of this claim is currently unknown to this writer. But whether or not it was Burke who first made the accusation, it is clear that she was very unhappy with Sinnock and felt that she deserved the credit for the design. In a special tribute to the sculptress presented to the 103rd Congress in 1994, writer Steven Litt reported:
<< <i>Selma Burke, 93, has earned more honors in her long career than many other 20th-century American artists. She first garnered attention as a sculptor in the Harlem Renaissance, the burst of art, music and literature by blacks in New York during the 1920s and '30s. She later studied in Europe, founded an art school in New York and an art center in Pittsburgh, and was awarded nearly a dozen honorary degrees.
But one thing eludes her. It is credit for the portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt that appears on the dime, which was issued by the U.S. Mint in 1946.
The dime bears the tiny initials "JS," which stand for John Sinnock, the former mint chief engraver who, according to Burke, copied a bronze portrait plaque of Roosevelt created by Burke in 1944 for the Recorder of Deeds Office in Washington, D.C.
“I'm so mad at that man,” she says of Sinnock.
Officials at the mint say their records show Sinnock deserves full credit for the Roosevelt dime. But Burke isn't convinced. She says that because she is black, she will never get the recognition she feels she deserves.
“This has happened to so many black people,'' she says. “I have never stopped fighting this man and have never had anyone who cared enough to give me the credit.” >>
Litt continues:
<< <i>Burke and some scholars believe that Sinnock used her sketches and plaques to design the profile of Roosevelt that appears on the dime.
But Brenda Gatling, public information officer for the mint, says "both Ms. Burke and Sinnock did live sittings with the president. Historical records do not bear out Ms. Burke's statements that he copied her design. Those who could have provided eyewitness accounts have long passed on."
But Burke isn't discouraged. "Everybody knows I did it," she says. >>
Source: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-1994-12-20/html/CREC-1994-12-20-pt1-PgE25.htm
In general, Burke's image of Roosevelt is quite similar to the one found on the dime. Both are left-facing profiles that have the same angle of cut on the neck. However, this is where the similarities end.
A close look at both images reveal many subtle differences. Compare the two designs for yourself:
Here are just a few differences that I've noticed between Sinnock's Roosevelt profile and Burke's:
* Burke's bas relief seems to be, in general, proportionately different than the one found on the dime.
* Burke's profile appears to portray a younger looking Roosevelt than is on the dime.
* Burke's image does not show Roosevelt directly from the side as seen on the dime. Burke's bas relief shows a small bit of the right side of Roosevelt's face, the most obvious being the right eyebrow.
* Roosevelt's left eyebrow on Burke's bas relief is also “bushier” and more pronounced.
* The dime shows wrinkles radiating outward from the outer corner of Roosevelt's eye (crow's feet) while there are none on the Burke relief.
* The forelock of Roosevelt hair is a bit rounder on the dime and extends forward from the hairline, whereas Burke's design has the hair “slicked back”.
* The part in Roosevelt's hair is also different between the two images and Burke's design shows Roosevelt with a much higher hairline. There are also clear differences in the way the hair falls on Roosevelt's head.
* The back of the neck in Burke's design is much longer, and generally shows Roosevelt's neck as thinner.
* The ear lobe on Burke's bas relief is much more pronounced than on the dime.
* The curve of the nostril is much more pronounced than on the dime.
* The chin on Burke's bas relief is much rounder and extend further from Roosevelt's face than on the dime. Also Burke's profile does not feature a line on the chin as seen on the dime.[/list]Based on these observations, it seems quite clear to me that Sinnock did not copy from Burke's bas relief for his profile of FDR on the dime. However, in doing some further research into the controversy over the past few days, I was shocked to find so many who disagree.
Some sources even go as far as to give Burke the entire credit without even mentioning Sinnock. Example includes Burke's obituary as they were printed in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Seattle Times:
<< <i>Selma Hortense Burke, 94, of New Hope, the sculptor who created the profile of FDR used on the dime, died Tuesday at Chandler Hall, a nursing home and hospice in Newtown. The profile was taken from a bronze plaque she had made for a new federal building in Washington. The plaque, unveiled by President Harry S. Truman in 1945, was done from sketches made on butcher paper in a 45-minute session with President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House. She later sculpted that image into the profile on the dime. >>
Source: http://articles.philly.com/1995-09-01/news/25715829_1_fdr-new-hope-sculptures
<< <i>Selma Hortense Burke, the sculptor who created the profile of FDR used on the dime, died Tuesday at a nursing home and hospice near Philadelphia. She was 94. The profile was taken from a bronze plaque she had made for a new federal building in Washington. The plaque, unveiled by President Truman in 1945, was done from sketches made on butcher paper in a 45-minute session with President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House. >>
Source: http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19950901&slug=2139370
In fact, a Google search of “Selma Burke Dime -Sinnock” yields over 3.3 million results! (If you didn't know, putting a minus sign [-] before a word in a Google search will exclude results that contain that word.)
Encyclopedia.com says:
<< <i>The source of Roosevelt’s image on the dime has recently received much attention. John R. Sinnock, the chief engraver at the U.S. Mint, has his initials on the profile. The dime’s head, however, is merely a mirror image of the plaque created by Selma Burke, with the exception of a few detail changes in the arrangement of Roosevelt’s hair. Moreover, the National Archives and Records Administration of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park, New York, stated that the dime portrait originated with the sculpture of Franklin Delano Roosevelt done by Selma Burke. >>
Source: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Selma_Burke.aspx
Meanwhile, Encyclopedia.com does not even have an entry for John Sinnock.
Okay, but many if not most of these examples were probably not researched and written by numismatists or experts who were just basing their "facts" on what others have previously written. Surely an organization like the Smithsonian (which claims to be the world's largest museum and research complex) would have done a proper investigation into the matter. Right?
Think again.
With no mention of the controversy or Sinnock at all, The Smithsonian American Art Museum says of Burke in her biography:
<< <i>Sculptor and educator who received national recognition for her relief portrait of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, which was the model for his image on the dime. >>
Source: http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artist/?id=27983
So, what do numismatists have to say?
Walter Breen wrote:
<< <i>The illustrious black sculptor Selma Burke claimed that Sinnock adapted his design from her bas-relief of Pres. Roosevelt - Considering that Sinnock had also copied and signed John Frederick Lewis's design for the 1926 Sesquicentennial half dollar, Ms. Burke's claim is probably valid. >>
Perhaps the most compelling evidence that Sinnock did not steal from Burke is the fact that he had already created a few different inauguration medals featuring Roosevelt's profile dating back to 1933. The most notable for this argument is a medal designed by Sinnock for Roosevelt's third inauguration in 1941. The profile of FDR on the 1941 medal is a near copy of one of the initial design sketches Sinnock submitted to the Commission of Fine Arts for comments and approval of the Roosevelt dime obverse design. (Special thanks to Roger Burdette for permission to use the image of the composite sketch below.)
So, what the heck is going on?
Without mincing words, it is my opinion that many of the claims that Sinnock copied Burke's work is racially and politically motivated (excluding Breen's). The story that a white man working for the government stole from and uncredited an African-American female artist is an attractive anecdote for those looking to push their own agenda.
It does not seem unrealistic to suggest that Sinnock used all of the resources available at the time to assist him with the design; which may or may not have included Burke's design. However, it would also seem that Sinnock would not have needed to copy or borrow from Burke, especially considering that he had already created several different profiles of FDR for medals well before Burke's bas relief.
Seeing as Sinnock created his FDR profiles over a decade before Burke's work, one could also suggest that Burke used all available resources for the design of her bas relief; which may or may not have included Sinnock's medals.
Ultimately, I do not see any hard evidence that Sinnock stole from Burke, or vice versa. I believe that the similarities between Sinnock's dime and Burke's bas relief is the result of two very talented artists creating a realistic image of the same man.
The argument over who deserves credit for the obverse design of the Roosevelt dime may never be officially resolved. There seems to be only one person who can say for sure; and that is John Sinnock himself. Unfortunately, Sinnock died shortly after the release of the Roosevelt dime following an illness of several months in 1947.
It is my guess that Sinnock just used a combination of his own previous works, studies, and photographs of Roosevelt for his design. In particular, this one:
Churchill and Roosevelt in Marrakesh, French Morocco, January 23, 1943, following the Casablanca Conference
I don't know the original photographer. But this image is from FineArtAmerica.com. I first became aware of this photograph and it's possible connect to the dime from RichardsRoosveltReview.com. It's potential connection is mentioned there.
Look at those similarities:
Flipped horizontally:
Image overlay:
If it could be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, however, that Sinnock did not use Burke's bas relief to guide his design, I assert these accusations are defamatory. And to exclude Sinnock from the conversation completely, giving Burke all of the credit, is egregious.
P.S. I did not overlook the error on the piece that I got from eBay which says the FDR profile has been "used on U.S. Dime since 1945". Aside from the obvious missing word "the", the Roosevelt dime was released to the public on January 30, 1946. The mistakes just added nothing to my argument.
"Man will never be perfect until he learns to create and destroy; he does know how to destroy, and that is half the battle.”
- Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
SOLVE ET COAGULA
- Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
SOLVE ET COAGULA
4
Comments
Interesting read.... thank you for sharing it with us.
Coin Club Benefit auctions ..... View the Lots
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
<< <i>Agree with the contrived controversy to push a political agenda. How can two sculptured portraits from different artists of the same man not be similar? Why copy another sculpture when it just as easy and more accurate to copy a side view pic of the subject? >>
Yeah, ridiculous argument by the original artist. Given that her likeness of FDR actually looked a bit like him and the image on the Roosevelt dime looks nothing like FDR, I would say it's an empty claim.
Edited to add: for years, as a kid, I wondered why Truman was on a Roosevelt dime. To me, the image looks more like Truman than it does Roosevelt.
wonder who would win?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/AtqXN9yPBzhpvP3TA
<< <i>I'd love to see this go to court
wonder who would win? >>
That's actually a really good point. Many have commented that Burke was sincere in her belief that Sinnock stole the design (although, of course, sincerity in belief does not mean she was correct). But now that I think of it, if Burke truly believed that Sinnock stole the design, why was there never a court case over it?
Burke died in 1995. She had plenty of time to bring up a suit against the Treasury Department.
- Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
SOLVE ET COAGULA
<< <i>Edited to add: for years, as a kid, I wondered why Truman was on a Roosevelt dime. To me, the image looks more like Truman than it does Roosevelt. >>
Great observation. Never really studied the design till now but it does look more like Truman.
<< <i>if Burke truly believed that Sinnock stole the design, why was there never a court case over it? >>
Perhaps she thought it would it be better to have some controversy and discussion?
But, what do I know about art. I can't even draw a good stick figure.
Later, Paul.
<< <i>A very interesting read none the less. I will post this thread over on the PCGS board in my thread to see what the Roosie collectors think about it over there. >>
isn't this the PCGS board?
<< <i>
<< <i>A very interesting read none the less. I will post this thread over on the PCGS board in my thread to see what the Roosie collectors think about it over there. >>
isn't this the PCGS board? >>
I think he misspoke. This subject is being discussed in both forums.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>A very interesting read none the less. I will post this thread over on the PCGS board in my thread to see what the Roosie collectors think about it over there. >>
isn't this the PCGS board? >>
I think he misspoke. This subject is being discussed in both forums. >>
Yeah I posted all this ATS last week. Just wanted to see what the folks over here thought.
- Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
SOLVE ET COAGULA
<< <i>I don't see it. The Burke and Sinnock designs do not look at all alike to me. I think the Burke design might be a little more artistic and may look more like Roosevelt but I cannot see how the Sinnock design could be a copy. Not only do they not look alike, with many obvious differences, but they don't even look like they are representations of the same person.
But, what do I know about art. I can't even draw a good stick figure. >>
Well I suck at art too, but I agree with you.
Successful BST deals with mustangt and jesbroken. Now EVERYTHING is for sale.
If you've seen one profile then you've seen them all.
Not to mention the fact that Burke's piece is much more elongated than the Sinnock design on the dime. Elongating the features changes the character of the piece and really, exactly how many different ways are there to present a "profile" of one individual so that it's recognized as that individual. Kind of like saying that if you took a Profile Picture of FDR that you own the rights to ALL profile pictures of FDR since you did the first one?
I think she's just fishing and it has absolutely nothing to do with race.
I kinda take exception with the Encyclopedia piece which states: "The dime’s head, however, is merely a mirror image of the plaque created by Selma Burke, with the exception of a few detail changes in the arrangement of Roosevelt’s hair."
Anybody with any comparative vision cane see that the Burke piece has a much higher loft to the hair in addition to a more pronounced receding of the hairline.
The name is LEE!
<< <i>Agree with the contrived controversy to push a political agenda. How can two sculptured portraits from different artists of the same man not be similar? Why copy another sculpture when it just as easy and more accurate to copy a side view pic of the subject? >>
Exactly.
<< <i>
<< <i>Agree with the contrived controversy to push a political agenda. How can two sculptured portraits from different artists of the same man not be similar? Why copy another sculpture when it just as easy and more accurate to copy a side view pic of the subject? >>
Yeah, ridiculous argument by the original artist. Given that her likeness of FDR actually looked a bit like him and the image on the Roosevelt dime looks nothing like FDR, I would say it's an empty claim.
Edited to add: for years, as a kid, I wondered why Truman was on a Roosevelt dime. To me, the image looks more like Truman than it does Roosevelt. >>
+1
Neither portrait really looks like Roosevelt. Sinnock's less so. Which is kind of prima facie evidence he didn't copy anything.
NGC registry V-Nickel proof #6!!!!
working on proof shield nickels # 8 with a bullet!!!!
RIP "BEAR"
They're the same down to the folds in the shirt and pants.
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>A very interesting read none the less. I will post this thread over on the PCGS board in my thread to see what the Roosie collectors think about it over there. >>
isn't this the PCGS board? >>
I think he misspoke. This subject is being discussed in both forums. >>
Yes, I misspoke, as I meant to say over at the PCGS Set Registry forum.
Later, Paul.
Thought it was worth resurrecting this old thread on Selma Burke.
Selma Burke won a competition to create a relief sculpture of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1943. John W. Mosley Photograph Collection, Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia, PA
Who Really Designed the American Dime?
The controversy that has long roiled the coin world.
by Christina Ayele Djossa January 17, 2018
Here's a semi-recent article on the subject.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/who-designed-american-dime-selma-burke-franklin-roosevelt
Burkes image looks more like LBJ except for the hair.
- Bob -
"Central Valley" Roosevelts
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Agree, the 2 look nothing alike in my opinion.
My Saint Set
Do we owe her repatriations, too?
Not the same and Sinnock had a sitting at about the same time so the man, FDR, would have looked the same for both artists.
Sour grapes.
bob
More ignorance from the internet. Ms. Burke had no connection with the 1946 dime design - except possibly in imagination.
Silly question in this age of political correctness.
2 different things. Each, attributions to the original. Easy to say one copied the other. All I see is FDR
...except the Burke "attribution" is false. The complete story with photos of Sinnock's drawings, models, and details of meetings never previously disclosed will be in a future article.
During his presidency, FDR had many thousands of portraits made from life, photos and imitations of photos.
Interesting old thread!
Burke's design is more artistic and better captures the young FDR but they went with a older FDR for the dime.
I would agree that the older one is more appropriate (if a president must be on a coin at all) but Burke's design has more artistic merit.
The dime is getting very long in the tooth. It's been around for 74 years and unchanged since 1965; 55 years. Both of these put it in second place for longevity of US coins.
That's 107 different date/ MM in circulation plus another 52 proof and a W mint issue. There are also numerous important varieties and special proofs.