Ford Motor Company Anniversary Medal

Anthony de Francisci, Ford Motor Company Anniversary Medal, ca. 1955, plaster plaque, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Anthony de Francisci, 1966.51.15
Copied Anthony de Francisci, Ford Motor Company Anniversary Medal, ca. 1955, plaster plaque, 6 in. (15.2 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Anthony de Francisci, 1966.51.15

Artwork Details

Title
Ford Motor Company Anniversary Medal
Artist
Date
ca. 1955
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
6 in. (15.2 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Anthony de Francisci
Mediums
Mediums Description
plaster plaque
Classifications
Keywords
  • Portrait male — Ford, Henry — head
  • Portrait male — Ford, Edsel — head
  • Portrait male — Ford, Henry, II — head
  • Occupation — industry — automotive
  • Portrait group — family
Object Number
1966.51.15
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1966.51.15

Artwork Description

Anthony de Francisci’s plaster model is a preliminary design for the finished medal. The portraits represent Henry Ford, his son Edsel Ford, and grandson Henry Ford II, who by 1955 had led the firm for ten years. An inscription on a finished version (see 1966.110.42) indicates that the sculptor copied the portraits from a work by Norman Rockwell. Almost thirty years before the 1955 commission, de Francisci had sculpted Henry Ford’s profile for a commemorative medal (see 1966.110.13).