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Lanchester Medal: CM.19-2005

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Artist: Wyon, Allan Gairdner
Issuer: Institution of Automobile Engineers
Issuer: Lanchester, Frederick William (Struck in the name of)

Entities

Categories

Description

The Institution of Automobile Engineers was established in 1906, with the earliest work on cars burgeoning around it. One of the most notable contributors to this field was Frederick William Lanchester, whose innovations in engine and automobile technology represent even today an under-recognised contribution of immense importance, although his most enduring contributions were nonetheless perhaps in the field of aeronautics to which he slowly gravitated. One way in which his significance is still recognised is by the award of the Crompton-Lanchester Medal by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, into which the Institution of Automobile Engineers was absorbed in 1947. Today this medal is awarded to the winner of one of four other prizes administered from the same funds, but the award goes back to Lanchester himself, who established it with the Automobile Engineers, to be awarded annually for outstanding contributions in motor engineering. The original medal was designed by Allan Gairdner Wyon, and this piece is a bronze proof from his workshop.

Notes

History note: From the estate of the late Mrs Venetia M. Watson, daughter of the artist

Place(s) associated

  • London

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (2005-01-31) by Watson, Philip Charles

Dating

Production date: before AD 1926 : undated

Note

Bronze specimen

Components of the work

Object composed of bronze Diameter 55.0 mm Die Axis 0 degrees Weight 78.73 g

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: Bust of Frederick Lanchester left in circle of points with legen and wreath around

  • Text: FREDERICK · WILLIAM · LANCHESTER · F.R.S.
  • Location: Obverse
  • Type: Design

Inscription present: Two sprays of foliage tied with ribbon leavimg upper field clear, with circle of points and legend around

  • Text: THE · INSTITUTION · OF · AUTOMOBILE · ENGINEERS +
  • Location: Reverse
  • Type: Design

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: CM.19-2005
Primary reference Number: 156538
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Thursday 30 June 2016 Last processed: Tuesday 13 June 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Coins and Medals

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Lanchester Medal" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/156538 Accessed: 2024-12-18 12:52:53

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/156538 |title=Lanchester Medal |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-18 12:52:53|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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