artist.shtml medals sidney-waugh

Artist Name


birth1/17/1904 in Amherst, MAPicture of Sidney Waugh
death6/30/1963 in New York, NY
parentsFrank Waugh and ?
educationMassachusetts Institute of Technology (1920-23)
Scuola delle Belle Arte, Rome (1924)
Rinehart School of Sculpture, Baltimore (1930-33)
awards Bronze Medal Salon de Printemps, Paris (1928)
Silver Medal Salon de Printemps, Paris (1929)
Prix de Rome (1929)

Sidney Waugh was born in Amherst, Massachusetts. His father Frank was a Landscape architect and professor of horticulture at the Massachusetts State College. Waugh gained admission to MIT as a 16 year old and studied at the School of Architecture between 1920 and 1923. He went on to Rome and Paris where he studied with Antoine Bourdelle and worked as an assistant to Henri Bouchard. During this time, Waugh was awarded the bronze medal of the Salon de Printemps in 1928 and the silver medal in 1929. In the same year, he won the Prix de Rome from the Rinehart School of Sculpture in Baltimore and returned to Italy for an additional three years of study as a fellow at the American Academy in Rome. Later in life, he would return to the Rinehart School to work as a teacher.

Like most of his contemporaries, Waugh's artistic career was interrupted by World War II. He served in the U.S. Army Air Force, first in military intelligence and later, following the allied victory, with the Allied Military Government. He was a member of the 345-strong group called the "Monument Men" that worked to protect cultural treasures during the war and attempted to locate and return stolen treasures after the war. While serving in North Africa and Europe, most notably in Italy, Waugh worked under fire to save and protect cultural treasures. For his efforts, he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Croix de Guerre twice, and was named Knight of the Crown of Italy.

His architectural sculptures include a group at the National Archives Building, a pediment sculpture at the U.S. Post Office Department Building, and a group at the Federal Reserve Board Building, all in Washington, D.C. Waugh also worked as chief associate designer at Steuben Glass for three decades. President Truman chose his pieces as gifts for the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and for Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Waugh's sculpture has also been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Chicago Art Institute, the Cleveland Museum of Fine Arts, the Toledo Museum of Art, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. He was a member of the New York City Art Commission, the National Institute of Arts and Letters, was a trustee of the American Academy in Rome, and served as president of the National Sculpture Society.

Waugh died at the age of 59 of natural causes.

Sourced from the listed sources in Resources section.



You can click medals to switch between obverse and reverse sides.

Nameless in Worthy Deeds 1946
by Sidney Waugh
SOM-34.1
Golden bronze with tan patina
SOM-34.5
Silver

This medal was chosen as the 34th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series.

The obverse bears farmer with shovel, produce on shoulder, and semi-draped wife. Recessed outer border with legend, HAPPY ARE THOSE WHOM PRIVACY MAKES INNOCENT; in exergue, SW / ©

The reverese shows farrier bent over as he shoes a draft horse. Above and below, TO BE NAMELESS / IN WORTHY DEEDS / EXCEEDS AN IN- / FAMOUS HISTORY

The medal measures 73mm in diameter and was produced by the Medallic Art Company. Its reported mintage is 1,182 pieces in bronze and 60 in silver.

SOM-34.1
Bronze
73.0mm (2.87in)
Golden bronze with tan patina
THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS THIRTYFOURTH ISSUE 1946-SIDNEY WAUGH SC.
MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. BRONZE
SOM-34.2
Bronze
73.0mm (2.87in)
Golden bronze with tan patina
THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS THIRTYFOURTH ISSUE 1946-SIDNEY WAUGH SC.
MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y.
SOM-34.3
Bronze
73.0mm (2.87in)
Golden bronze with minimal patina
THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS THIRTYFOURTH ISSUE 1946-SIDNEY WAUGH SC.
MEDALLIC ART CO.-DANBURY, CONN
SOM-34.4
Bronze
73.0mm (2.87in)
Golden bronze with minimal patina
THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS THIRTYFOURTH ISSUE 1946-SIDNEY WAUGH SC.
SOM-34.5
Silver
73.0mm (2.87in)
THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS THIRTYFOURTH ISSUE 1946-SIDNEY WAUGH SC.
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Contact me if you have links that might merit inclusion on this page.

Books & Articles

American Art Medals, 1909-1995 by David Thomason Alexander
David T. Alexander's book can be purchased at the above link. Highly recommended for anyone interested in SOM. I am deeply indebted to him for all the information I used to document the SOM medals on this site.

Research Archives and Websites

The Monuments Men
Short biography of Waugh with particular focus on his war-time effort.
Sidney Waugh, Monuments Man
A most complete biography by Pamela Russell and Sheila Flaherty-Jones poublished in The Common.

Museums