LOT #59160 |
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1970's Final Bronze Trophy Cast from the Original Heisman Trophy Maquette....
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Sold on Nov 20, 2021 for:
$50,400.00
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Description
1970's Final Bronze Trophy Cast from the Original Heisman Trophy Maquette. When New York's Downtown Athletic Club conceived college football's highest award in 1935, they turned to the preeminent Roman Bronze Works to craft the trophy that would symbolize gridiron excellence. The firm was widely recognized for its superior bronze castings, employing the lost-wax method to produce works by such noted sculptors as Frederick Remington, Charles Russell and James Fraser. The gorgeous bronze bases of Tiffany Studios' famous lamps were likewise crafted by Roman Bronze Works, and when Tiffany filed for bankruptcy, it was RBW that took over their building and operations.To sculpt the most famous form in American sports, they would turn to Frank Eliscu, then a relatively unknown artist of twenty-three who would go on to great success, generating hundreds of celebrated works ranging from the official inaugural medals of Gerald Ford and Nelson Rockefeller to the monumental "Cascade of Books" above the entrance to the James Madison Building of the Library of Congress.
The Heisman Trophy is awarded annually to the most outstanding collegiate football player of the year, and has been won by such legends as Paul Hornung, Marcus Allen, Barry Sanders and Roger Staubach. In terms of physical presence, it is the most dynamically sculpted of all sports awards. Not just some manner of glorified loving cup, the award is an iconic work of art and perhaps the most recognizable symbol of individual athletic achievement.
It is believed that the lost-wax method was replaced with a "modern" vulcanized rubber process sometime during the 1970's, but the sculpture offered here was cast using the same maquette that created every one of the approximately first forty Heisman Trophies. The Roman Bronze Works gradually went out of business during the 1990's. Some years earlier the manufacturing of the Heisman Trophy had been turned over to a firm which also makes class rings and the like, and the modern Heismans differ rather significantly from those masterpieces created by the original maker. This offering features what is documented to be the last bronze trophy ever cast, formerly displayed at Roman Bronze Works. Rear top and edge are etched with "Frank Eliscu" and "Roman Bronze Works N.Y." respectively. While we cannot fairly compare this example to awarded Heismans, we do note that player-owned specimens have routinely sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction on the rare occasions they have been made available.
Auction Info
2021 November 18 - 20 Fall Sports Collectibles Catalog Auction #50049 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
November, 2021
18th-20th
Thursday-Saturday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 33
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 1,317
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid per lot.
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