Distinguished Service Medal of Cleveland

Paul Manship, Distinguished Service Medal of Cleveland, 1921, bronze, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1965.16.62
Copied Paul Manship, Distinguished Service Medal of Cleveland, 1921, bronze, 3 in. (7.7 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1965.16.62

Artwork Details

Title
Distinguished Service Medal of Cleveland
Artist
Founder
Medallic Art Company
Date
1921
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
3 in. (7.7 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure group
  • Allegory — quality — prudence
  • Portrait male — Cleveland, Moses
  • Allegory — other — progress
  • Object — other — cornucopia
Object Number
1965.16.62

Artwork Description

The obverse of Paul Manship's medal depicts a freighter delivering raw materials to Cleveland's factories. A towering central figure likely represents Moses Cleaveland, a member of the surveying party that established the city in 1796. By 1920, Cleveland was the fifth largest city in the United States. The words progress and enlightenment refer to the city's leadership in the Progressive Movement, which advocated social change through science, education, and industry. On the reverse, an allegorical figure of abundance symbolizes the agricultural products that flowed through Cleveland and out to the nation by way of canals, railways, and the Great Lakes.