Baldwin's of St. James's
Auction 57 14 Apr 2021
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The Portland Collection, Commemorative Medals, Engineering: Optics, A Highly important group of Victorian Exhibition award medals to the optical manufacturing firm of R. and J. Beck, later named Smith, Beck and Beck, then again R. and J. Beck.
The medals comprise:
1851, The Great Exhibition, Hyde Park, London, copper Council Award Medal, by W. Wyon and (rev.) H. Bonnardel and J. F. Domard, conjoined heads of Victoria and Albert l., trident and dolphins in field, rev. Britannia stands on plinth crowning standing figures of Commerce and Industry, flags and artefacts behind, edge named, SMITH & BECK. CLASS X. COUNCIL MEDAL OF THE EXHIBITION, 89mm. (Allen A1; BHM.2461; Eimer 1455).
Only 169 Council medals were awarded.
1855, France, Exposition Universelle, Paris, Napoleon III (1852-1870), silver prize medal, by Albert Barre, bare head of Napoleon III r., NAPOLEON III EMPEREUR, rev. crowned imperial arms, border around of the arms of the participating foreign nations, named in tablet, AWARDED TO SMITH & BECK FOR MICROSCOPES, 59.5mm. (Divo 234; Collignon 1673).
Exposition Universelle des produits de l'Agriculture, de l'Industrie et des Beaux-Arts de Paris.
1862, International Exhibition, South Kensington, London, copper prize medal, by L. C. Wyon, after Daniel Maclise, Britannia std., a lion at her side, surrounded by Industry, Arts, Science and Agriculture, rev. wreath around inscription, named on edge, SMITH, BECK, & BECK. CLASS XIII, 76.5mm. (BHM.2747; Eimer 1553).
1867, France, Exposition Universelle, Paris, Napoleon III (1852-1870), gold prize medal, by H. Ponscarme, laur. bust of Napoleon III l., rev. named in raised letters, R & J BECK, wt. 72.32gms., 50.5mm.
1876, U.S.A., The United States Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia, copper prize medal by Henry Mitchell [Boston], std. figure of America l., the shield of the United States at her side, border decorated with vignettes displaying the symbols of Art and Industry, rev. legends around and within wreath, unnamed, 76.5mm. (Julian AM-10; BDM VIII, 67).
1885, International Inventions Exhibition, South Kensington, London, gold prize medal, by L. C. Wyon, veiled bust of Queen Victoria l., VICTORIA REGINA, rev. figures of Invention and Music resting on a scrolled plaque inscribed 1885 INTERNATIONAL INVENTIONS EXHIBITION, wt. 41.01gms., 45.5mm. (BHM.3198; Eimer 1715).
1893, India, Calcutta, Photographic Society of India, silver award medal, by J. S. and A. B. Wyon, within an arched building an Indian female figure, semi-naked, std. holding photographic album, rev. named within wreath, 'Awarded to Messrs R. & J. Beck – Calcutta 1893', 51mm. (Pudd.948.27.3).
The medals removed from but sold with a display case, mint state or virtually so, a few show minor edge nicks, a rare tribute to one of the world's great makers of microscopes (7)
Richard Beck (1827-1866) and his brother Joseph (1828-1891) established the optical manufacturing firm of R. and J. Beck in 1843, at 69 Mortimer Street, London. James Smith joined them in 1843, with the company now named Smith and Beck, then renamed Smith, Beck and Beck in 1854. On Smith's retirement in 1865 it reverted to R. and J. Beck. They opened their manufactory in Holloway in 1853, naming it the Lister Works after their uncle Joseph Jackson Lister who did so much to develop the microscope. By 1861 they employed 40 men and 35 boys and girls. The catalogue entry for their display at the Great Exhibition reads, 'Glass case; in the top, are stands for compound achromatic microscopes (microscopes which consists of two or more combinations of lenses, by one of which an enlarged image of the object is formed, and by means of the other, or eye-glass, a magnified representation of the enlarged image is seen), constructed so as to avoid tremor, with adjustments and complete apparatus. In the middle, are the requisites for mounting microscopic objects, the cells, slips, thin glass, fluid covers, etc., and a few preparations as specimens. The bottom is a new form of cabinet for the objects. Two tables, with revolving tops, for successively turning the microscope to two or three persons who can conveniently sit round'. In 1968 the company was taken over by The Ealing Corporation, South Natick, Massachusetts, becoming Ealing Beck Ltd., then in 1990 Davin Optronics acquired the business and today it still trades in Hemel Hempstead as Beck Optronic Solutions Ltd.
The medals comprise:
1851, The Great Exhibition, Hyde Park, London, copper Council Award Medal, by W. Wyon and (rev.) H. Bonnardel and J. F. Domard, conjoined heads of Victoria and Albert l., trident and dolphins in field, rev. Britannia stands on plinth crowning standing figures of Commerce and Industry, flags and artefacts behind, edge named, SMITH & BECK. CLASS X. COUNCIL MEDAL OF THE EXHIBITION, 89mm. (Allen A1; BHM.2461; Eimer 1455).
Only 169 Council medals were awarded.
1855, France, Exposition Universelle, Paris, Napoleon III (1852-1870), silver prize medal, by Albert Barre, bare head of Napoleon III r., NAPOLEON III EMPEREUR, rev. crowned imperial arms, border around of the arms of the participating foreign nations, named in tablet, AWARDED TO SMITH & BECK FOR MICROSCOPES, 59.5mm. (Divo 234; Collignon 1673).
Exposition Universelle des produits de l'Agriculture, de l'Industrie et des Beaux-Arts de Paris.
1862, International Exhibition, South Kensington, London, copper prize medal, by L. C. Wyon, after Daniel Maclise, Britannia std., a lion at her side, surrounded by Industry, Arts, Science and Agriculture, rev. wreath around inscription, named on edge, SMITH, BECK, & BECK. CLASS XIII, 76.5mm. (BHM.2747; Eimer 1553).
1867, France, Exposition Universelle, Paris, Napoleon III (1852-1870), gold prize medal, by H. Ponscarme, laur. bust of Napoleon III l., rev. named in raised letters, R & J BECK, wt. 72.32gms., 50.5mm.
1876, U.S.A., The United States Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia, copper prize medal by Henry Mitchell [Boston], std. figure of America l., the shield of the United States at her side, border decorated with vignettes displaying the symbols of Art and Industry, rev. legends around and within wreath, unnamed, 76.5mm. (Julian AM-10; BDM VIII, 67).
1885, International Inventions Exhibition, South Kensington, London, gold prize medal, by L. C. Wyon, veiled bust of Queen Victoria l., VICTORIA REGINA, rev. figures of Invention and Music resting on a scrolled plaque inscribed 1885 INTERNATIONAL INVENTIONS EXHIBITION, wt. 41.01gms., 45.5mm. (BHM.3198; Eimer 1715).
1893, India, Calcutta, Photographic Society of India, silver award medal, by J. S. and A. B. Wyon, within an arched building an Indian female figure, semi-naked, std. holding photographic album, rev. named within wreath, 'Awarded to Messrs R. & J. Beck – Calcutta 1893', 51mm. (Pudd.948.27.3).
The medals removed from but sold with a display case, mint state or virtually so, a few show minor edge nicks, a rare tribute to one of the world's great makers of microscopes (7)
Richard Beck (1827-1866) and his brother Joseph (1828-1891) established the optical manufacturing firm of R. and J. Beck in 1843, at 69 Mortimer Street, London. James Smith joined them in 1843, with the company now named Smith and Beck, then renamed Smith, Beck and Beck in 1854. On Smith's retirement in 1865 it reverted to R. and J. Beck. They opened their manufactory in Holloway in 1853, naming it the Lister Works after their uncle Joseph Jackson Lister who did so much to develop the microscope. By 1861 they employed 40 men and 35 boys and girls. The catalogue entry for their display at the Great Exhibition reads, 'Glass case; in the top, are stands for compound achromatic microscopes (microscopes which consists of two or more combinations of lenses, by one of which an enlarged image of the object is formed, and by means of the other, or eye-glass, a magnified representation of the enlarged image is seen), constructed so as to avoid tremor, with adjustments and complete apparatus. In the middle, are the requisites for mounting microscopic objects, the cells, slips, thin glass, fluid covers, etc., and a few preparations as specimens. The bottom is a new form of cabinet for the objects. Two tables, with revolving tops, for successively turning the microscope to two or three persons who can conveniently sit round'. In 1968 the company was taken over by The Ealing Corporation, South Natick, Massachusetts, becoming Ealing Beck Ltd., then in 1990 Davin Optronics acquired the business and today it still trades in Hemel Hempstead as Beck Optronic Solutions Ltd.