New Approach Contemporary Medallic Art Research Center

Through July 2019

Medallic Images of War: Death and Destruction 1850-1950

Curated by Scott Miller from the collections of David Simpson, Scott Miller, Normand Pépin, Dr. Jay Galst, Michael Parris, Dr. Ira Rezak, Frederic Withington

There are about 135 medals on loan from local collectors, with nearly all from the US and western and central Europe.

The purpose of this exhibit is to examine how medallic depictions of war, death, and destruction changed during the period from 1850 to 1950. The century covered by thisexhibition saw tremendous advances in communication which affected the distribution, images and subject matter of medals. The greatest influence on medal design was the inventionof photography, and the introduction of photojournalism.

Cultural influences on medals can also be seen, such as Victorian sentimentality on medals from the Boer War through World War I. In stark contrast to many medals produced byAllies where the value of the individual soldier was emphasized, some of the German World War I medals emphasized the soldier's loss of individuality as well as the gruesomerealities of war, with the Dance of Death a recurring theme.

By the Second World War, medals were largely replaced by other forms of communication, including magazines and newsreels. While some medals were produced depicting well knownfigures, remarkably few depict battles. In Germany, Guido Goetz followed in his father's footsteps and issued a few satirical medals. However, as a part of the war machine, themedal, like the horse, was obsolete.

For more information, see:
www medialiagallery.com