DR. DANIEL GARRISON BRINTON'S MEDAL

My friend Michael Keropian is a sculptor of note who will shortly be visiting the Poppenhusen Institute in College Point to examine the MacNeil plasters, some of which need cleaning and others, restoration. He has a Facebook site, Figurative Sculpture in History that has over 16,000 members.

Scrolling through his site the other day, I couldn't help but notice an entry about sculptor John Flanagan, better known as a medalist, who designed a medal honoring Dr. Daniel Garrison Brinton. What caught my eye was the medal he had designed in 1898, may have influenced, however subconsciously, another by Hermon Atkins MacNeil executed in 1918.

Daniel Garrison Brinton

Conrad Poppenhusen

Between 1889 and 1891 Flanagan and MacNeil had studied together in Paris under medalist Henri Chapu and sculptor Alexandre Joseph Falguière. Their friendship was rekindled in the City of Light in 1900 where both had been chosen to decorate the exterior of the American Pavilion for the upcoming Exposition Universelle. Flanagan modeled a huge eagle to surmount the dome of the pavilion; MacNeil, the building's triangular spandrels. Flanagan chose to remain in France for more than a decade before returning to America in 1902. While both men chose to live in New York City, their paths crossed only occasionally. Nevertheless, almost forty years after parting ways, they shared a singularly unique experience; both designed famous twenty-five cent pieces.

MacNeil modeled his medal in 1918 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Conrad Poppenhusen Institute in College Point, Queens, NY in 1868. MacNeil was serving on the Institute's Board of Control at the time and during the ceremony was awarded his own medal in appreciation of the honor his distinction in the world of art had brought to the school. His name was in the paper again with a report that a quarter designed by John Flanagan would soon take the place of MacNeil's. It would be out of character for Hermon to have been anything but happy for the success of his friend and colleague.

Dr. Brinton's medal was awarded in late June 1899 in commemoration of the fifteenth anniversary of his presidency of the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society, and the fortieth anniversary of the society. I researched his medal and learned it has been modeled in Paris in 1898 by John Flanagan, who in 1889/1991 had studied in Paris alongside Hermon Atkins MacNeil under medalist Chapu and sculptor Falguière. Their friendship was rekindled in the City of Light where both were decorating the exterior of the American Pavilion for the upcoming Exposition Universelle. Flanagan modeled a huge eagle to surmount the dome of the pavilion; MacNeil the building's triangular spandrels. Flanagan chose to remain in France for more than a decade before returning to America in 1902. While both men chose to live in New York City, their paths crossed only occasionally. Nevertheless, almost forty years after parting ways, they would share a singularly unique experience; both designed famous twenty-five cent pieces.

MacNeil modeled his medal to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Conrad Poppenhusen Institute in College Point, Queens, NY in 1868. MacNeil was serving on the Institute's Board of Control at the time and during the ceremony was actually awarded his own medal in appreciation of the honor his distinction in the world of art had brought to the school. His name was in the paper again with a report that a quarter designed by John Flanagan would soon take the place of MacNeil's. Their friendship having begun in the classroom, it would be out of character for Hermon to have been anything but happy for the success of his long-time friend and colleague.

Dr. Daniel G. Brinton's medal was awarded in late June 1899 in commemoration of the fifteenth anniversary of his presidency of the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society, and the fortieth anniversary of the society itself. According to an 1888 article published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, prior to 1858 there had been no society in America devoted to numismatic research. In that year seven gentlemen from the City of Brotherly interested in coins, met together and determined to form a society of numismatics. In spite of efforts taken by the group, membership had not increased such that in 1865 the name was changed to the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia. Dr. Brinton, a well-known authority on North American Indian races, was elected president in 1883 and five years later the society, that now met twice a month, had seventy members and an extensive collection of coins on display. On June 25th, 1899, the Philadelphia Times published a lengthy article on the award and career. It also included a woodcut of the medal. Sadly, Brinton, a Civil War veteran, died in Atlantic City two months later and was buried in Media Cemetery in Media, Pennsylvania.

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web