IBM Exhibitor's Bronze Medal (Cased)
Designer: unknownMedallist: Medallic Art Co.
The medal was struck for the World Fair which was held in Flushing Meadows, Corona Park, Long Island, New York State from 1939-04-30 to 1940-10-27 and was visited by over 44 million people.
This is not an official World Fair medal, of which several designs were struck, but was issued by IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) then the largest global manufacturer of punched card reading machines with a broad range of applications.
Incorporated on 1911-06-16 as CTR (Computing Tabulating Recording Company, the firm changed its name to IBM in 1924 under the Presidency of Thomas John Watson snr (1875-1954).
Watson had been appointed General manager in 1914 and was appointed president and CEO the following year.
Amongst Watson's achievements was the creation of a corporate Art Collection. This was begun in 1937 with the aim of acquiring quality examples of work by artists from each of the 79 countries in which IBM did business.
At the World Fair in 1939, launched on its ironic message of peace through business, IBM mounted two dispays from its collection which were each titled "Art by 79 Countries. The first was held a the IBM pavilion on the main Flushing meadows site, the second ran from 1939-04-12 to 1939-08-12 at the Art Center, 59 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.
The present medal was struck and "awarded" to each of the artists represented in the New York exhibit.
IBM had purchased John Maclauchan Milne's oil painting "Iona Sound" from the RSA Annual Exhibition in 1938.
The medal is not signed but the original keep-case is stamped with the Company's name
Additional details
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Object data
Date 1939 Accession 2024.0015 Type Medal, prize Bronze Materials Support bronze
Case wood, leather, silk, velvetDimensions 75cm x 4cm x 110cm x 10.8cm x 2.5cm Acquisition Gift Mackellar, Jimmy (February 17th, 2024) -
Exhibitions
No exhibition data for this record.
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