Henry C. Turner Medal for Notable Achievement in the Concrete Industry (obverse)

Anthony de Francisci, Henry C. Turner Medal for Notable Achievement in the Concrete Industry (obverse), 1927, cast and patinated brass, 2 ¹⁄₂ in. (6.2 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Anthony de Francisci, 1966.51.63

Artwork Details

Title: Henry C. Turner Medal for Notable Achievement in the Concrete Industry (obverse)
Artist: Anthony de Francisci
Date: 1927
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 2 ¹⁄₂ in. (6.2 cm) diam.
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Anthony de Francisci
Mediums: brass
Mediums Description: cast and patinated brass
Classifications: Sculpture
Medal
Subjects: Figure female — full length
Allegory — arts and sciences — industry
Allegory — arts and sciences — chemistry
Object Number: 1966.51.63
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1966.51.63

Artwork Description

Henry Chandlee Turner created the Turner Construction Company in 1902. He was interested in experimenting with the possibilities of reinforced concrete and was president of the American Concrete Institute during the early 1920s. Anthony de Francisci’s artist’s sample shows one of two proposed designs for the obverse of the medal (see also 1966.51.51). The buildings behind the allegorical figure represent the cityscape made possible through innovations in concrete technology, which is symbolized by the giant cement mixer to the figure’s left.