President Theodore Roosevelt called the project his ''pet crime.'' In truth it was one of his greatest gifts to America. In 1905 Roosevelt challenged the brilliant and famous sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens: The United States is the best nation on Earth, but its coins are atrociously hideous. Why can we not produce coinage as beautiful as that of the ancient Greeks? Striking Change offers a fresh new look at the life of Saint-Gaudens - the man and the artist - and the remarkable partnership he forged with Theodore Roosevelt to reinvigorate the country's numismatic art. Author Michael Moran explores Saint-Gaudens's coin designs in the context of his monumental sculptures and American culture of the time. Through first-person accounts, behind-the-scenes conversations, and explosive public drama, we come to know the larger-than-life personalities involved in this renaissance of fine art. Striking Change illuminates the politics, the genius, the struggles, and ultimately the triumph of an extraordinary American journey.
