1934 European Figure Skating Medal: Simplicity Rules the Day.

Last Updated on September 14, 2024 by Netropolitan Museum

Small medal is a lasting memory of the event, now more than 90 years ago

The 1934 European Figure Skating Championships participant medal featured in today’s blog is a lasting memento from the annual event, held that year in Prague, Czechoslovakia, for women and pairs. The championship showcased some of the finest talents in figure skating, including Norway’s Sonja Henie (gold medalist at the event) and America’s Maribel Vinson (bronze medalist at the event, at a time when non-Europeans were sanctioned to participate in the European Championships). The circular, bronze-colored medal reflects the excellence of the era and was produced by the famous Huguenin Médailleurs.

Medal Gallery: 1934 European Figure Skating Championships

The face of the 1934 European Figure Skating Championships medal features pair skaters in heavy attire common for the time; note particularly the calf-high skating boots on both. Their elegant pose, done with precision unison, epitomizes both the grace and athleticism of the sport. The simplicity seen in the face of the medal belies the fact that it commemorates a significant championship in the sport. Not until turning over the medal does one understand that significance. There, the medal is engraved, also simply, with the event name, year, and location: “Europa 1934 Praha.” This clearly defines a time and place in history, and the medal is a lasting memory of the event, not looking nearly its 90 years of age.

One could conjecture that the women’s event at the 1934 European Figure Skating Championships was commemorated with a similar participation medal but perhaps one that featured a single female form on the face, rather than pairs skaters. The Curator of The Netropolitan has not been able to document or verify the idea of different medals issued by discipline for past events, but the question is an intriguing one. Sadly, the intrigue of the question likely will remain because details such as those are largely lost to the ages. Most skating unions contacted by The Curator have nothing to offer on historical details about events held in their countries, if they even reply at all to an inquiry.

Under magnification, the maker’s mark, Huguenin, can be seen just to the left the female skater’s boot. Huguenin was founded in Switzerland by brothers Fritz and Albert Huguenin in the 1860s and began by producing watch cases. When their market declined in the late 1880s, the enterprising duo became one of the most well-known producers of high-quality medals and coins in almost every imaginable area. In fact, they were the go-to firm. The Huguenin name can be found on many a figure skating medal as well as winner’s medals awarded by the International Skating Union (ISU) at the World Figure Skating Championships and European Figure Skating Championships. In the collection of The Netropolitan are five winner’s medals—an assortment of bronze and silver—from World and European Championships. The presentation cases all proudly display the Huguenin name.

The 1934 European Figure Skating Medal: Simplicity Rules the Day.

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