Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-22
THE WORLDS FAIR MEDAL.
st. Gaudens Indignant Over Criticisms
of the Design.

1t is said at the Treasury Department that
the action of Secretary Carlisle in directing
a modification of the worlds fair medal, as
stated in Saturdays Star, was based on a
personal inspection of the models prepared
by st. Gaudens, the artist who designed
them, and was not influenced in the least by
an inspection of a copy or imitation of
them. as some of the artists friends have
contended must have been the case. The
original models are now at the Treasury
Department. but are not open for public in
spection. They were approved and accepted
by the worlds fair committee on awards
and Mr.. ST. Gaudens was paid 5000 for his
work. He is reported being very indig-
nant over the affair. He seems to think a
mistake has been made and that the depart
ment has been imposed upon.
He was interviewed in New York and
spoke freely concerning the criticisms of his
work.
Il have been abominably treated in this
matter" said he, land / grow very angry
every time l think of it. This whole uproar
could have been avoided but for the fact
that New Hampshire firm got a repre-
sentative into the mint by some means and
secured drawing of the design. At any
rate this fellow was allowed TO see the
model and carried away enough of it in his
mind to make an outrageously rad copy,
which was published and freely circulated
The drawing was a caricature of nay
model. and was indecent in the extreme.
Some publications containing this libel upon
my design fell into the hands of the Sena-
tors, and the result was a great hue and
cry about its immodesty.
II suppose the Senators received letters
from reform societies and Young Mems
Christian Associations protesting against
the use of anything indecent, and thus
the objection to the design came about.
Il do not criticise the Senators. They are
certainly entitled to their opinions and If
they object to the nude in art, as some per-
sons do, l presume they nave right to ex-
press those objections. But l do criticise
both freely and harshly the management
which permitted my design TO be copied in
the way it was. There was no other design
in existence than that in the Philadelphia
mint.
Il have none myself. 1t should have been
carefully guarded from prying eyes. l say
again that there is nothing iInmodest about
my model. 1t is nude figure. but nude
figure is not necessarily immodest.
l. This discussion. too, is rather tardy. The
figure has been accepted AMI paid for, and
the transaction is therefore closed. But as
l said before. l have no control over the
moral convictions of Senator'S"
As has been stated already, the depart
ment was guided In its action by the orig
inal designs and the models made there
from. and not. as Mr.. st. Gaudens seems to
think, by the copy made by another artist for
New Hampshire business house The work
OF preparing the dies from which the medals
We're TO have been struck is nearly finis he'd.
1t has now been suspended in order that the
design of the embiematic figure of Amer
lea Is altered to accord with modern ideas
OF the proprieties in public works. A loiI
cloth will be draped on the figure, and the
work OF preparing the medals will then be
pushed as rapidly as possible. The necessity
OF changing the dies will naturally delay the
delivery of the medals beyond the time
originally fixed by the committee of awards