Author Topic: Irresistible MotD. (Read 10121 times)

*Alex · « **on:** April 16, 2009, 10:33:39 am »

Unlike LB, I don't really collect medals but I found this one irresistible and had to buy it.

The medal measures 52mm across and it was struck in 1851 to commemorate the construction of the "Crystal Palace" in London.

Among other things the medal provides the following information regarding the building.

Length 1848 feet. Width 456 feet. Height of principal roof 66 feet. Height of transept 108 feet.
The glazed surface was 900,000 square feet and the building occupied 18 acres of ground. It's estimated value in 1851 was £150,000.

Sadly the building was destroyed by fire in 1936.

Alex.

Jochen · « **Reply #1 on:** April 16, 2009, 11:33:39 am »

What a beautiful lady, when she was young.

Best regards

Arminius · « **Reply #2 on:** April 17, 2009, 06:31:43 pm »

Same bust, same (but little bit older and widow then) queen, different building - or just additions (domes) and different view in 1862?

White Metal Medal (38 mm / 13,77 g),
Obv.: BORN MAY 24 1819. CROWNED JUNE 28 1838. MARRIED FEB. 10 1840 + / H. M. G. M. QUEEN - VICTORIA., crowned bust of Victoria left.
Rev.: INTERNATIONAL / EXHIBITION / OPENED MAY 1s1862 // WEST FRONT VIEW // COVERS A SPACE OF 26 ACRES / 1200 Ft LONG. 700 Ft WIDE / DOMES 250 Ft HIGH / COST £ 300´000 , view of the expo building, west front, with statistics.

*Alex · « **Reply #3 on:** April 17, 2009, 07:10:56 pm »

Hi Arminius,

It is the same building, after the Great Exhibition of 1851 closed, it was moved to Sydenham Hill in South London and reconstructed and enlarged. The Sydenham Hill site was officially opened by Queen Victoria in 1854. The building was refurbished again in 1862 for the International Exhibition commemorated on your medal.

Your medal seems a bit better preserved than mine, much of mine has turned black which doesn't show so much on the dealer's photograph which I posted.

Alex.

slokind · « **Reply #4 on:** April 17, 2009, 09:25:43 pm »

Interesting always to anyone who has done history of photography: one difference between the two images is different focal length of the lenses. The earlier one exaggerates the size and length of the wing towards the camera: wide angle lens, besides being a different view. Both are beautiful medals, though.
Pat L.

LordBest · « **Reply #5 on:** April 17, 2009, 10:05:53 pm »

Beautiful medals, *Alex your medal is number 165l in Taylor's 'Architectural Medal' reference. I am afraid I can not find your medal, Arminius, either because it is unlisted or through temporary inability to read references properly.
LordBest.

Arminius · « **Reply #6 on:** April 18, 2009, 02:48:18 am »

Thanks for the additional information.

So far me neither could find the 1862 medal on the web. Maybe a useful hint for further investigation: There is a small signatur / mark beneath the bust (not visible on the picture as in the shadow): "A & M"

Maybe this can provide the name of the engraver.

regards

*Alex · « **Reply #7 on:** April 18, 2009, 07:06:36 pm »

Arminius,

The A & M stands for Allen and Moore who were responsible for striking both our medals.

Lord Best,

Thanks for the reference which I will add to my notes. The dealer informed me that the Allen reference number is HP B125 (Brown 2420) which I assume refers solely to the medal issues of Allen and Moore.

I have no references of my own, my only information on the medal to date has been that provided by the dealer.

regards,

Alex.

LordBest · « **Reply #8 on:** April 18, 2009, 10:42:33 pm »

Brown would be Brown's 'British Historical Medals, the RIC of British medals from 1760 onwards. Volume II, in this case I believe. I'm not sure what the HP is, but Allen and Moore were certainly prolific so it could well be a specific reference for their medals.
LordBest.

Potator II · « **Reply #9 on:** April 19, 2009, 06:43:13 am »

Very nice *Alex,

I've always found this portrait of Victoria being very attractive. IMO the "gothic crown" is the most beautiful modern coin ever.

Below is the florin sharing the same portrait

Thanks for sharing
JC

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #10 on:** April 20, 2009, 05:36:18 pm »

My father lived in Sydenham as a boy, and once told me that he watched the Crystal Palace burn. I once visited the site, but I was too young to know about the early reconstructions of dinosaurs which are there. Iguanodon is represented as a thing like a rhinocoeros; the 'horn' was later found to be the top joint of its thumb!

http://www.dinohunters.com/History/Hawkins.htm

Here's one I grew up with in the University Museum, Oxford; it's still wrong because they dislocated the spine in several places to get the upright posture.

http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/learning/pdfs/dinosaur.pdf

If you scroll down to Page 9 there's a modern reconstruction for comparison. I really must revisit the place and see the new dinosaur exhibit.

slokind · « **Reply #11 on:** April 20, 2009, 11:48:10 pm »

I just forwarded the Oxford .pdf to my favorite five-year-old, whose name is Cian. I am writing another .pdf for him, called Coins for Cian, because he spontaneously loved my best photo of my best Babylon Alexander.
Pat l.

Arminius · « **Reply #12 on:** April 24, 2009, 05:32:22 pm »

Another impressive example of the British industrial medals series commemorating the 1851 expo:

Great Britain, International Exhibition, by Allen and Moore, 1851 AD.,
White Metal Medal (52 mm / 38,51 g),
Obv.: QUEEN VICTORIA & - PR. ALBERT , their busts left, all in wreath.
Rev.: THE INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION / LONDON, 1851 // PROPOSED BY H. R. H. PRINCE ALBERT / DESIGNED BY JOSEPH PAXTON ESQ. F. L. S., / ERECTED BY FOX, HENDERSON & Co., / LENGTH 1848 FEET, WIDTH 456 FEET, / HEIGHT OF PRINCIPAL ROOF 66 FEET, / HEIGHT OF TRANSEPT 108 FEET, / GLAZED SURFACE 900.000 SUP FEET, / OCCUPIES 18 ACRES / OF GROUND, / ESTIMATED VALUE L 150.000. , the huge building known as the Crystal Palace (expo building) and surroundings, beneath depiction of the expo area signature: ALLEN & MOORE.

Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Francis Albert Augustus Charles Emmanuel, later HRH The Prince Consort; 26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the husband of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

He was born in the Saxon duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld to a family connected to many of Europe's ruling monarchs. At the age of 20 he married his first cousin, Victoria, with whom he had nine children. At first, Albert felt constrained by his position as consort, which did not confer any power or duties upon him. Over time he adopted many public causes, such as the abolition of slavery and educational reform, and took on the responsibilities of running the Queen's household, estates and office. He was heavily involved with the organisation of the Great Exhibition of 1851.
He died at the early age of 42, plunging the Queen into a deep mourning which lasted for the rest of her life.

(If someone can provide a reference for this medal ...?)

regards

LordBest · « **Reply #13 on:** April 26, 2009, 03:25:45 am »

Super medal Arminius, and Taylor 165k, Eidlitz 748m pl 82 for references.
LordBest.

*Alex · « **Reply #14 on:** April 26, 2009, 12:58:11 pm »

Having just bought a much poorer quality example of your medal Arminius, I can add the reference Brown : 2419.

Although my medal has problems it didn't cost me very much and I bought it to "pair" with the medal which I posted previously. I've shown it below.

Alex.

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #15 on:** May 05, 2009, 05:08:21 pm »

Joseph Paxton was entirely self-taught; he started his career as a garden boy. Yet he designed what must have been the most fabulous greenhouse ever.

Arminius · « **Reply #16 on:** May 05, 2009, 05:28:31 pm »

There must have been numerous medals on this "greenhouse".

On this jeton Mr. Paxton has a "central role":

Crystal Palace Jeton, 1851 AD.,
silvered Bronze Jeton (22 mm / 3,48 g),
Obv.: JETON , in an oak wreath.
Rev.: THE CRYSTAL PALACE / DESIGNED BY / MR PAXTON // FOR THE GREAT / EXHIBITION / IN LONDON OF / 1851. , view of the expo building.

*Alex · « **Reply #17 on:** May 05, 2009, 05:54:34 pm »

Quote from: Arminius on May 05, 2009, 05:28:31 pm

There must have been numerous medals on this "greenhouse".

Yes, it seems to have been a very popular subject for the Victorians at this time. I have several others, including the two below.

Alex.

Arminius · « **Reply #18 on:** May 05, 2009, 06:06:08 pm »

Great Britain, International Exhibition, 1851 AD.,
Brass Medal (27-28 mm / 7,71 g),
Obv.: VICTORIA - REGINA , head of queen Victoria left.
Rev.: THE CRYSTAL PALACE / LONDON 1851 // PROPOSED BY / H. R. H. PRINCE ALBERT / COST L. 150.000. , the huge building known as the Crystal Palace (expo building) and surroundings.
BHM#2469 Br. RR. AE. RR. .

thanks to "constanius" for the reference

For other medals of the 1851 expo: http://www.btinternet.com/~malcbenn/expo1851.htm .

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #19 on:** May 06, 2009, 05:00:49 pm »

My father said he saw it burning, when it went up in 1936.

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Author Topic: Irresistible MotD. (Read 10121 times)