MAXIMILIAN FYSCHER WORLD WAR I PLAQUE

Here is a plaque to remember WWI that I have never seen before. It is cast bronze, 18x14-inches, entitled IN MEMORIAM. On the bottom left is PAT. NOV. 6, 1917 BY MAXIMILIAN FYSCHER and on the right MADE FOR OUR HEROS, INC.

(It was on eBay #132804917739. On Tues 10/9/2018 it sold for $170.50)

The center of the plaque is the end of Woodrow Wilson's speech to a Special Session of Congress on 6 April 1917, the day the US declared war. Around the speech are medals inset into banded wreaths depicting eight leaders of the Allies. The other four Allies are represented with national symbols in the four corners. One medal at the bottom is missing. By process of elimination this medal was probably King Alexander of Greece.

A little research has turned up the fact that only the Woodrow Wilson medal at the top of the plaque had a copyright. There was a 10¼-inch bronze medallion mounted on a 15-inch wide piece of Belgian black marble. It was presented to Mrs. Woodrow Wilson on December 14, 1917 by "Our Heroes." Inc.

The piece was designed by Maximilian Fyscher, a well known advertising art director and the bas-relief of Wilson on the bronze medallion was sculpted by Anthony de Francisci. By extension, the whole plaque was designed by Fyscher and de Francisci did all the portraits. The Wilson portrait on the medallion is the same as the portrait on this In Memoriam plaque. I knew de Francisci had done a Wilson medal. It is listed in Dick Johnson's database dated 1916 but is not illustrated. This must be it. The clipping to the right is from The Washington Times, Washington, DC Dec. 15, 1917 p4. and it is the source for the de Francisci attribution.

I am a bit of a collector of Woodrow Wilson profile portraits and I have searched for this medal for a couple of years. I currently have a Woodrow Wilson Profile Puzzle in the September issue of the MCA Advisory. It is amazing to come across this medal much less all this work by de Francisci in one place all on one piece. At the end of the war de Francisci would design and sculpt the Peace Dollar.

A careful look at the empty socket at the bottom of the plaque reveals that someone has worked the piece of solder left behind when the medal was removed and smoothed it out. He then carved into it a profile of an American Indian. In the spirit of "Kilroy was here." I would suggest that some Hobo Nickel artist saw a target of opportunity and added this portrait to the plaque. It certainly makes this plaque a very unique addition to the wall of the very advanced collector.

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