Carnegie Corporation Ashtray

Paul Manship, Carnegie Corporation Ashtray, 1927, bronze, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1965.16.59
Copied Paul Manship, Carnegie Corporation Ashtray, 1927, bronze, 5 1⁄4 in. (13.4 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1965.16.59

Artwork Details

Title
Carnegie Corporation Ashtray
Artist
Date
1927
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
5 1⁄4 in. (13.4 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Subjects
  • Mythology — classical — Pegasus
Object Number
1965.16.59
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1965.16.59

Artwork Description

American industrialist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) grew immensely wealthy from his Pennsylvania steel factories, which he established in the 1870s. He once wrote that “a man who dies rich dies disgraced” and used his fortune to fund a number of projects for the public good, including the famous Carnegie libraries that were built in cities across the United States. The inscription on Paul Manship’s medal, “For the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding,” reflects Carnegie’s philanthropic vision.