Gaetano Cecere

On a 1 3/8 inch wide Bronze octagon an eagle displayed, standing on a fasces, between two groups of stars of six and seven, above the group of six a spray of leaves. On the reverse is a shield paly of 13 pieces, on the chief the letters "US", supported by sprays of laurel and oak, around the upper edge the inscription "SOLDIER'S MEDAL" and across the face the words "FOR VALOR." In the base is a panel for the name of the recipient to be engraved. The medal is suspended from the ribbon by a rectangular-shaped metal loop with corners rounded.

In 1922 the War Department recognized acts of bravery should be acknowledged and began issuing orders for acts of bravery during times of peace. Because of this, an Act of Congress (Public Law 446-69th Congress, 2 July 1926 (44 Stat. 780)) recognized the Soldier's Medal of those acts of valor that did not concern direct encounter with an enemy. The Quartermaster General, on 11 August 1926, was ordered by the Secretary of War, via a letter signed by The Adjutant General, to plan and propose fitting designs of the Soldier's Medal. The Secretary of War applied for aid in creating a design from the Secretary of Treasury in a letter on 18 January 1927. On 22 January 1927, the Secretary of Treasury indicated in a letter of response that the Director of the Mint to ask the Engraver of the Mint at Philadelphia to propose blueprints and a prototype. On 22 June 1927, the Philadelphia Mint finished and sent the proposed design to the Commission of Fine Arts for their comments. The Secretary of War heard form the Commission of Fine Arts in a letter on 27 February 1928 that, "It would be a very serious disappointment to this Commission, after all its struggles to obtain good medals, to have to rely on work of this character. One of the fundamental objections to the designs submitted is a lack of that simplicity which should characterize all medals of the highest class. The designs and casts are disapproved and returned."

On 20 January 1930, Cecere was sent a letter from the Quartermaster General requesting blueprints and suggesting that the War Department would pay no more than $1500.00 for blueprints and a prototype. On 5 May 1930, his blueprint was approved by the Commission.

The original images can be found on the website of the Smithsonian Institute.

The obverse bears a nude with lyre in front of Pegasus; signed GAETANO CECERE 1931. The reverse bears a grouping of transmission towers, lightning bolts, and wings, surrounded by wreathes and text in concentric circles. Legend reads FOR DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION TO THE RADIO ART | OVER THE COLUMBIA BROADCASTING SYSTEM. The medal's diameter is 102mm or 4in.

The medal was awarded "for Distinguished Contribution to Radio" and by 1934 only six people had received it. They were: Colonel Charles Lindbergh, Sir John A. Reith, director general of the BBC, Leopold Stokowski, conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Amelia Earhart, Nino Martini, Metropolitan Opera tenor, and Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Antarctic explorer.

The medal is part of many museum collections, including the Smithsonian Institute, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Cornell University Library, which has a beautiful image online.

The original images can be found on the website of the Smithsonian Institute.

References: Marqusee 104

This medal was chosen as the eighth issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series. The medal's obverse bears male and female nudes stretching towards the sky, winged Pegasus rearing at left. Below, signature G. CECERE / © 1933.

The reverse bears twin peaks with a small tree growing at their feet with stars above. Above, concentric two-line legend, THERE IS NO EASY WAY FROM THE / EARTH TO THE STARS.

It was created in the middle of the Great Depression and, in Cecere's own words, symbolizes

"the age-old inner urge of a large portion of humanity - its never-ceasing struggle to free from the bondage of the sordid and material, its aspiration toward a higher place of existence."

He dedicated his medal to "those who are fighting adversities while maintaining a vision of a higher goal."

The medal measures 73mm in diameter and had a reported production of 1,287 in bronze and 125 in silver.

References: Marqusee 107

The American Academy in Rome began as a collaborative effort in 1893 at the World's Columbian Exhibition when a small group, including architects Charles Follen McKim and Daniel Burnham, painters John LaFarge and Francis Millet, and sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French, resolved to create a center to study art amid the classical tradition of ancient Rome. Each year, through a national juried competition, the Academy offers approximately 30 Rome Prize fellowships.

Cecere himself was a fellow and designed this medal. The obverse is still used on the baldric of the AAR and as the obverse of the American Academy in Rome's Centennial medal, which is the highest honor awarded by the Academy.

The original images can be found on the website of the Smithsonian Institute.

In 1946 the National Sculpture Society ran a competition to create an award medal. Named after Herbert Adams, the NSS', the society's two-times president and honorary president for life, the award was to honor an individual who had advanced American sculpture. Gaetano Cecere competed with the design on the right but lost to Thomas Lo Medico, who won first prize with a design that yielded this medal.

The plaster model representing Cecere' entry into the competition came from his estate via Strawser + Smith.

This is another plaster model from Cecere's estate is a design for a medal honoring American Theater.

I have no information about the date or the background for this model and have not been able to find any competition for which this model might have been created. Any additional information would be highly welcome.

This plaster model also came from Cecere's estate via Strawser + Smith.