Historical and Art Medals, Numismatic Books

19th Century, The Great Exhibition Medal awarded to Sir Joseph Paxton:
Great Exhibition, London, 1851, Council Medal, a bronze award by W. Wyon and J.F. Domard, conjoined busts of Victoria and Prince Albert left, trident and dolphins in field, rev. Britannia crowning standing figures of Commerce and Industry, flags and artefacts behind, edge named (Joseph Paxton, Class VII), 89mm (Allen A1; BHM 2461; E 1455). Obverse dark-toned and rims considerably knocked, perhaps consistent with being removed from a frame, otherwise about very fine and of considerable rarity and interest by association; only two other Council Medals awarded in this Class, one of which was to Prince Albert (£400-500)

Provenance:
Innes & Sons Auction (Derby), 8 July 1964, lot 49
E.W. Danson Collection.

Plate 3. When acquired by the vendor in 1964 the surface of the obverse was a matt dark green, suggesting that the medal was formerly held in a recess in a glass-fronted frame. Subsequently the glass was broken and the case exposed to a damp atmosphere which affected the obverse, but not the protected reverse and edges. Sir Joseph Paxton (1803-65), born in Bedfordshire into a farming family, had a number of gardening jobs until in 1823 he began working at Chiswick Gardens, leased by the Horticultural Society from the 6th Duke of Devonshire. Impressed with his abilities, in 1826 the Duke appointed Paxton head gardener at the family seat at Chatsworth, where Paxton designed gardens, fountains, a model village, an arboretum and built a conservatory and lily house. Fame came for Paxton with the 1851 Great Exhibition. All the 245 plans for the main Exhibition Hall in Hyde Park had been examined and rejected. Visiting London at the time, Paxton heard about the difficulties and within a matter of days had came up with a design – a vastly magnified version of his lily house at Chatsworth. It was cheap, simple to erect and remove and could be ready quickly. Its novelty was its revolutionary modular, prefabricated design and use of glass. It took 2,000 men eight months to build and when completed was more than 1,850 feet long and nearly 450 feet wide. After the Exhibition Paxton remained head gardener at Chatsworth while helping with suggested improvements for the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and designing the country house, Mentmore, for Baron Mayer de Rothschild. Paxton became wealthy through successful speculation in the booming railway industry. He died at Sydenham on 8 June 1865