James Earle Fraser (1876-1953) and his wife, Laura Gardin Fraser (1889-1966), were noted sculptors and medalists. Many of their works were huge equestrian statues or monumental portrait pieces (standing or seated figures). James designed the now-famous "Buffalo nickel" for the U.S. Mint and sculpted the well-known bronze, "End of the Trail," created for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, California. Among Laura's notable works are several Congressional Medals of Honor and a double equestrian statue of Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall" Jackson for the city of Baltimore. She submitted the winning design for the 1931 redesign of the quarter; although rejected by Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon in favor of a design by John Flanagan, her design was used for a commemorative five-dollar gold piece in 1999.
From the guide to the Diane R. Wolf Collection Relating to James Earle and Laura Gardin Fraser, circa 1920-1950, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)
