Presentation of a gold medal to Sir John Soane 24 March 1835

by Susan Palmer, Archivist, Sir John Soane’s Museum

At the beginning of 1834 a meeting of architects took place at the Athenaeum Club to consider the best way of ‘testifying their respect for the public and professional character of Sir John Soane’ (Athenaeum, 28 March 1835) and ‘in acknowledgement of the munificent gift of his Museum, Library and Residence to the Nation’ it was agreed to strike a medal.

The Athenaeum club. Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

A committee was formed consisting of Samuel Angell, Charles Barry, George Bailey, T. L. Donaldson, W.J. Donthorn, Charles Fowler, John Goldicutt, Joseph Kay, H.E. Kendall, James Noble, Henry Parke, H. Rhodes, P.R. Robinson and John Turner, and subscriptions were sought. Two of these men, George Bailey and Henry Parke, had trained in Soane’s own office and Bailey would go on to become the first Curator of Sir John Soane’s Museum.

The circular soliciting subscriptions referred to ‘The essential services rendered by Sir John Soane to Architecture, by his professional example during a long period of honourable professional practice, and by the precepts contained in his Lectures delivered before the Royal Academy…’ where he had been Professor of Architecture since 1806.

An original model for 1835 presentation Soane Gold Medal, 1834. ©Sir John Soane's Museum. By courtesy of the Trustees of Sir John Soane's Museum.

The dies of the medal were sunk by William Wyon, chief engraver of His Majesty’s Mint. On the obverse was a portrait of Soane after the bust by Sir Francis Chantrey, and on the reverse one of the porticos of the Bank of England (north-west angle) encircled by the inscription ‘A tribute of respect from the British Architects M.DCCC.XXXIV’. A gold impression was presented to Sir John Soane, a silver one was forwarded to each of the Academies in Europe and America and a bronze one was given to each of the 350 one-guinea subscribers. In addition, subscribers could pay an additional sum for a silver impression. The Governors and Directors of the Bank of England subscribed 100 guineas.

Sir John Soane medal cliches

On 24 March 1835 Soane threw his house in Lincoln’s Inn Fields (today Sir John Soane’s Museum) open to the subscribers and their friends, who began arriving soon after midday. The Morning Herald reported: ‘in less than an hour some hundreds occupied the Library, Drawing-rooms, etc.’ At 2 o’clock Sir Jeffrey Wyatville arrived to present the medal. It had been hoped that the Duke of Sussex would do this, but he was prevented by the state of his health. Soane received Wyatville in the Library. For the ceremony Soane sat at one end of the room, supported on his right by Sir Jeffrey Wyatville and Sir Francis Chantrey, and on his left by Sir W. Beechey, Mr Higham, Mr Bicknell and other personal friends. The Committee occupied seats immediately round the table. Joseph Kay opened proceedings by reading a letter to Soane from the Duke of Sussex. T. L Donaldson then read an address. Following a burst of applause John Goldicutt, Treasurer of the Committee then handed to Soane a copy of the Address ‘exquisitely written on vellum’, and a list of subscribers [this does not survive at the Museum], and Sir Jeffrey Wyatville presented him with impressions of the medal in gold, silver and bronze.

Obverse of the 'Soane Medal', gold version presented to Sir John Soane by the Architects of England, 1835. ©Sir John Soane's Museum. By courtesy of the Trustees of Sir John Soane's Museum.

Soane was too overcome to reply, his speech being read for him by his friend and solicitor John Bicknell. At the end of it he announced that in commemoration of that day the trustees of his museum would annually distribute £150 amongst Architects and their widows and children [the Distressed Architects Fund]. ‘It may easily be imagined that the fresh instance of liberality thus displayed by one who had already been so active in everything conducive to the promotion of his Art, produced a very powerful effect upon the assembly.’ This new act of generosity was acknowledged by P.F. Robinson. Soane’s friends then pressed round him to offer their congratulations, and visitors wandered around admiring the house.

Photo: Derry Moore. Detail of the Library at 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, where the Gold Medal was presented to Sir John Soane. ©Sir John Soane's Museum. By courtesy of the Trustees of Sir John Soane's Museum.

For more information please visit the website of Sir John Soane’s Museum