Baldwin's of St. James's
Auction 8 20 Sep 2017
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Commemorative Medals, The Lawrence Memorial for St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Sir Alfred Gilbert's gold medal, awarded 1898 to Thomas Jeeves Horder, cast and chased, portrait of Lawrence, almost full-face, within scrolled border, WILLIAM LAWRENCE 1783-1867 ST BARTHOLOMEWS HOSPITL, rev. a naked youth pressing through a shield flanked by the crouching figures of Wisdom and Science pointing to the inscription in Greek, 'Ever to Excel' upon it, named T. J. HORDER in scroll above, 55.5mm., 22ct,. total wt. approx 100gms (BDM.Vol II, 263; BDM.VII, 371; Isabel Macallister, Alfred Gilbert, London 1929), in [Art Union] fitted case, extremely fine and a great rarity
Sir Thomas Jeeves Horder, later Baron Horder of Ashford (1871-1955), the recipient of the medal, had a long and distinguished career in medicine, mostly at St. Bartholomew's Hospital and held Royal Appointments to three monarchs including Extra Physician to Elizabeth II.
The Lawrence Memorial scholarship, in memory of Sir William Lawrence (1783-1867), was initiated in 1873, with a medal being given from 1876. The Lawrence family so disliked the portrait on the original medal that in 1891 Gilbert was commissioned to produce a new one, derived from the Pickersgill portrait. The plaster for the medal and an example in gold were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1897. Gilbert, however, was involved in the production of only the first four medals awarded, of which two are known to have survived, this piece and the 18ct example in the possession of St. Bartholomew's Hospital. That Horder's medal is in 22ct. gold rather than the 18ct. intended, suggests that it was the specimen chased by Gilbert and exhibited at the Royal Academy. The original moulds were lost when Gilbert fled to Bruges in 1901, to escape his creditors, and all subsequent medals were aftercasts taken from an existing medal, though awarded only in 9ct. gold.
The Alan Irvine Collection of Historical and Artistic Medals (2600-2800 GBP)
Sir Thomas Jeeves Horder, later Baron Horder of Ashford (1871-1955), the recipient of the medal, had a long and distinguished career in medicine, mostly at St. Bartholomew's Hospital and held Royal Appointments to three monarchs including Extra Physician to Elizabeth II.
The Lawrence Memorial scholarship, in memory of Sir William Lawrence (1783-1867), was initiated in 1873, with a medal being given from 1876. The Lawrence family so disliked the portrait on the original medal that in 1891 Gilbert was commissioned to produce a new one, derived from the Pickersgill portrait. The plaster for the medal and an example in gold were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1897. Gilbert, however, was involved in the production of only the first four medals awarded, of which two are known to have survived, this piece and the 18ct example in the possession of St. Bartholomew's Hospital. That Horder's medal is in 22ct. gold rather than the 18ct. intended, suggests that it was the specimen chased by Gilbert and exhibited at the Royal Academy. The original moulds were lost when Gilbert fled to Bruges in 1901, to escape his creditors, and all subsequent medals were aftercasts taken from an existing medal, though awarded only in 9ct. gold.
The Alan Irvine Collection of Historical and Artistic Medals (2600-2800 GBP)