An Iconic Award Show Statuette

At our New York Gallery, we have an Emmy Statuette awarded to a celebrated Broadway producer in 1980; In this blog post, we dive a little bit into its history. 

The history of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences dates to the earliest days of the television industry itself; its founder, Syd Cassyd, envisioned the academy as a discussion forum for the fledgling medium. In the 1950s the Television Academy's stature rose significantly with the emergence of one event: the Emmys. Cassyd was inspired by the award show hosted by New York-based American Television Society, which he joined in 1945.

Mayor Fletcher Bowron speaking at the First Emmy Awards Ceremony.

The award was initially called the Immy after the image-orthicon camera tube. Immy became the more feminine Emmy to complement to the design chosen for the statuette: a winged woman holding an atom. The wings represent the muse of art and the atom the electron of science. The design was by television engineer Louis McManus. McManus's muse was his wife.

Every year, the Chicago-based company R.S. Owens, manufactures four hundred statuettes for the Primetime Emmys, which are awarded at the Creative Arts ceremony and Primetime Emmy telecast. In addition, between two hundred fifty and three hundred statuettes are ordered annually for the Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards, honoring excellence in local broadcasting.

Drawing for the Emmy statuette by Louis McManus