Description
FRANCE (1931) Compagnie Generale Transatlantic "Colombie" Ship 58.9mm Bronze Medal 100 grams
Obverse: depicts ship to the left, COMPAGNIE // GENERALE // TRANSATLANTIQVE FRENCH LINE / LINEA FRANCESA COLOMBIE
Reverse: Female figure standing, holding fruit platter over head trees and a seagull to the right, all over a map of the Carribean, MER / CARAÏBE / MARCEL RENARD
Edge: Cornucopia privy mark (Paris Mint) BRONZE
SS Colombie was launched in 1931 for Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. She was built by Ateliers et Chantiers de France, Dunkirk.
Throughout the 1930s she serve as a merchant ship until 1940 where she was converted to an armed merchant ship till 1941. In December 1942, SS Colombie was taken over by US Army at Casablanca, Morocco. SS Colombie set off to New York to be converted to a troopship in 1943 by Arthur Tickle Engineering Company. She was still under jurisdiction of War Shipping Administration, with the French Line.
SS Columbie operated between the east coast of the United States and the Europe-Africa-Middle East theater of operations. Acquired by the US Army Transportation Service for conversion to a hospital ship by Arthur Tickle Engineering Company, between January and April 1945.
She was recommissioned as USAHS Aleda E. Lutz on 13 February 1945. Named after Lt. Aleda E. Lutz, who was the most celebrated female war hero of World War II. Lutz was the first American woman to die in combat during World War II and the highest decorated woman in the history of the U.S. military.
She was decommissioned on 6 April 1946 and returned to the War Shipping Administration and a few days later returned to the French Lines on 11 April 1946. SS Colombie was modernized and returned to commercial service on the Havre-West Indies route for Générale Transatlantique.
Her ownership was turned over to Typaldos Lines in 1964 and renamed SS Atlantica. But few years later not long after, Typaldos Lines bankrupt in 1968 and she was abandoned and sold for scrapping in 1974
Marcel Renard (1893-1974) studied first in Lyon under his father, the sculptor Leopold Renard, subsequently with Jean-Marie Boucher and Auguste Patey at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Renard produced several hundred works for the Paris Mint
Renard also realized public monuments in the round, fountains and sculptures for the Salon International des Arts Decoratifs of 1925, which gave birth to the expression Art Deco. Marcel Renard won a gold medal at this event.
In addition to his work as a medallic sculptor, Renard created elaborate interior decors for luxury ocean liners, such as the Ile de France. In this capacity, he collaborated regularly with friend and colleague, the monumental sculptor Alfred Janniot (Rockefeller Center, Palais de Tokyo.) Renard also realized numerous interior decorations with the architect Roux-Spitz.
The Compagnie Generale Transatlantic series of medals is an attractive group, with interesting contributions not only from Marcel Renard, but also Raymond Delamarre and Maurice Delannoy.
