Children's Drawing Competition Medal

[Dave]

 

This may seem a bit strange to you at first as it did to me. But here's the story:

 

Manhattan Island was purchased in 1626. Thus the centenary celebration of 300 years of New York City.

 

A. T. Stewart Lived: 1823-1924. Opened a store in New York City in 1862. Known as the Marble Palace and catered to women. A larger store with an iron facade opened in 1862.

 

John Wanamaker: 1838-1922. John Wanamaker was a pioneer of the modern Department Store. His first was a store in New York City. In 1896 Wanamaker bought the old A.T. Stewart Cast Iron Palace in New York and connected it with a "Bridge of Progress" to a new 16-story building next door.

 

In 1926 Ada Totten, my wife’s grandmother, received this silver medal as a prize for the Children’s Drawing Competition. Her parents fastened the bar to the back so she could wear the medal with pride. The drawing is lost to us, but the medal serves a nice memento of her.

[bill]

Beautiful medal. It is too bad about the soldering job on the reverse, but knowing the story as to who and why takes the sting out. I am fascinated by the striking of good looking medals and then drilling a hole in them so they can be worn. I've managed to collect a few with ribbons attached, but I've not encountered historic photographs so far showing people actually wearing the items. I keep looking however.

 

Thanks again for sharing a great piece of history.

[elverno]

A great piece and wonderful story. I always like the pieces in my collection with a story, and this one has the added benefit of being connected to your family. Does the store still exist? Maybe the picture is in the company archives.