Commissioned to mark HM The Queen's 50 year association with the RSA

Commissioned to mark HM The Queen's 50 year association with the RSA

Commissioned to mark HM The Queen's 50 year association with the RSA

Commissioned to mark HM The Queen's 50 year association with the RSA

The subject of the 1956 Christmas card was chosed from the records of Benjamin Franklin's association with the Society in view of the 200th anniversary on September 1st 1956 of his election to membership and of the 250th anniversary of his birth, which was celebrated in January 11th 1956. The designer, Miss Anna Zinkeisen, has reconstructed a meeting held on February 3rd 1759, of the committee responsible for fine art competitions, at this meeting selected candidates were interviewed for confirmation of their awards. The minutes of the meeting give a list of those who were present, and from contemporary portraits Miss Zinkeisen has been able to select those shown: Judges: Benjamin Franklin (seated), William Chambers (standing behind chair), Edward Hooper and James 'Athenian' Stuart (looking at figure drawn by Richard Cosway). Candidates: William Peters (being examined by Benjamin Franklin), Richard Cosway and Henry Pingo (seated at end of room). 25,000 copies sold.

In 1793, the Society's Gold Medal was adjudged to Captain William Bligh RN, Master of HMS Providence, for his success, the previous year, 'in conveying from the Islands in the South Sea, to...the Islands in the West Indies subject to the Crown of Great Britain, the Breadfruit Tree, in a growing state'. The picture depicts the scene of Bligh's arrival in the West Indies, where in fact he delivered a great variety of plants, in addition to breadfruit, at St Vincent's and Jamaica. Bligh is the officer in the central foreground, carrying a telescope. Bligh had first visited the South Seas as Captain Cook's sailing-master in the Resolution in 1772-74 and it was during this expedition that the breadfruit trees was discovered at Otaheite. His first attempt to transplant it, whilst Master of the Bounty in 1788-89, ended in the notorious mutiny. a hydrographer and botanist of distinction as well as a thoroughly competent seaman, he was in later life elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. After his unhappy experiences as Governor of New South Wales in 1808-1810, he returned to England, was promoted to Flag rank and died in December 1817. 39,000 copies sold.

Taken from a bas-relief in marble by Ernst Rietchel, a renowned 19th century European sculptor. 'The Angel is represented in the form of a graceful youth floating in the air with the infant saviour in his arms; two infant Angels attend his course. This group has a peculiar charm from the beauty of the heads and figures, the grace of the action, the suddenness of the movement impressed on the flying drapery, and the masterly yet tender handling of the marble'. Extract from the jurors commentary in the Art Journal Illustrated Catalogue of the Great Exhibition of 1851.

Commissioned for a card but never used

Awarded to Professor G W Paton, Vice-Chancellor of Melbourne University for his 'Textbook of Jurisprudence' (Second Edition)

Awarded to Professor Francis E Camps for his work as Editor of the second edition of 'Gradwohl's Legal Medicine'. Designed by Andrew Bray, DESRCA, whose design is based on the concept of the standing cup. It incorporates cones and cylinder shapes to create a positive statement of a cup on a stand, whilst still remaining a visually whole unit. The disposition, size and finish of these shapes provides a vessel which is suitable to hold and to drink from. The cup is 11 in. high, 3 in. wide and 5 in. deep and is engraved with the Society's device, as well as the name of the prize and recipient

Awarded to Professor G W Paton, Vice-Chancellor of Melbourne University for his 'Textbook of Jurisprudence' (Second Edition)

The Sir Frank Warner Memorial Medal commemorates the initiation of the original Competition of Industrial Designs by Frank Warner. It was awarded for the best individual textile design submitted in the competition.