Commemorative, Historical and Art Medals

France, An important group of Olympic and other award medals for Swimming, presented to Miss Phyllis Harding:
VIII Olympiad, Paris, 1924, a silver award medal by A. Rivaud, for second place in the 100 metres backstroke, unnamed, 55mm, in red case of issue; a light bronze participant’s medal by R. Bénard, 55mm [2];
IX Olympiad, Amsterdam, 1928, a light bronze participant’s medal by J.C. Wienecke, 55mm; a silver vase, awarded by the Croydon Ladies Swimming Club, inscribed (Olympic Games Back-stroke, 1928, Phyllis Harding) around monogram [2];
X Olympiad, Los Angeles, 1932, a light bronze participant’s medal by J. Kilenyi, 60mm, in card case of issue; an oval ‘Tudric’ pewter tray by Connell, awarded by the Croydon Ladies Swimming Club, inscribed (Phyllis Harding, Olympic Games, 1932, Los Angeles) around monogram [2];
XI Olympiad, Berlin, 1936, a bronze participant’s medal by O. Placzek, 69mm, in round card case of issue;
British Empire Games, Hamilton, Ontario, 1930, a rectangular bronze award plaque, unnamed, for first place in the 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay, 52 x 53mm (with base metal stand); an oval bronze and enamel award medal, for third place in the 100 metres backstroke, 50 x 39mm; a bronze enamelled competitor’s badge [3];
British Empire Games, London, 1934, silver award medals (2, first gilt), revs. stamped (Swimming, Women, 100 yds back, 1st) and (Swimming, Women, Medley Relay, 2nd), both 51mm; a light bronze competitor’s medal, 45mm; an oval bronze-gilt guest’s badge, the last signed Phillips, Aldershot, 44 x 28mm, all cased as issued [4];
European Championships, Bologna, 1927, a gold and enamelled award medal, unsigned, for third place in the 100 metres backstroke, stamped 80c, 33mm, in case of issue; a silver cup and lid, inscribed (Federazione Fascista Commercianti Bologna - 2˚ Campionato Europeo di Nuoto - Bologna Littorale 1927, Anno V) [2];
European Championships, Paris, 1931, octagonal award medals by E. Fraisse (2), in silver, for second place in the 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay; bronze, for third place in the 100 metre backstroke, both unnamed, 64mm; Ville de Paris, a bronze award medal by G.-H. Prud’homme, inscribed (Fédération Française de Natation et de Sauvetage - Prix de la Ville de Paris, 1931), 50mm [3];
Fédération International de Natation Amateur, Certificates (3), Pennants (3) for World Backstroke Records set at Wallasey, Cheshire, for 100 metres (30 May 1932), 200 metres (19 September 1932) and 400 metres (5 December 1932) [6];
Amateur Swimming Association, a gold award medal by Vaughton, inscribed (Record Medal won by Miss P.M. Harding, 1933, Ladies 150 Yds Backstroke Record 1m 54s), hallmarked Birmingham 1933, 26mm;
Southern Counties Amateur Swimming Association, gold award medals (3), by H. Phillips, inscribed (1932 Ladies 150 Yds Backstroke), hallmarked London 1932, 32mm; by Vaughton (2), inscribed (1934 Ladies 150 Yds Backstroke), and (1936 150 Yds Backstroke) both hallmarked Birmingham 1933 and 1936, 32mm and 26mm; similar award medals in silver (3), dated 1922, 1929, 1930, all 32mm; bronze (14), various dates, 1921-33, 32mm (7), 26mm (7), some cased as issued [20];
Award and other medals in silver (8), base metal (5) from Croydon, Finchley, Hornsey, University of London, Warwickshire, West Midlands [13];
The lot is sold with an official programme for the 1924 Games, three original photographs from the 1936 Games showing Miss Harding carrying the British name board, a deck of playing cards from the 1948 London Games, an original scrapbook of newspaper cuttings covering the period 1936-48 and other programmes and letters relating to her career.
Most of the medals as struck, some in original cases [where stated], other items in good collectable condition; an important and interesting group £5,000-7,000

First medal only illustrated. Phyllis Harding was born in Wandsworth, London on 15 December 1907 and gained her first medal at the age of seven for swimming a width of the pool. Nine years later, she won Olympic silver in the inaugural 100 metres backstroke at the Paris Games in the summer of 1924, behind the world record-holder Sybil Bauer of the USA. She was still a few months short of her 17th birthday. She attended the next three Olympics and, though she did not progress in the 1928 Games, she came fourth in the 1932 Games and seventh in the Berlin Games, both in the 100 metres backstroke. Although not in the medals, her time in 1936 represented a personal best of 1m 21.5. She was in fact the first woman to compete in four successive Olympics and held world records in the 100, 200 and 400 metres backstroke in 1932. She had success in the European championships in 1927 and 1931 and at the British Empire Games in 1930 and 1934. The cup awarded to her at Bologna in 1927 was said to have been presented by Mussolini himself who attempted to seduce her but without success. On the other hand, she danced with Hermann Goering during the 1936 Games and found him to be “the perfect gentleman”. After winning many awards at home as well as internationally, she announced her retirement in August 1936 to become a full-time wife. She had married in 1934, giving birth to a son in 1937 and a daughter in 1941. She died in the early 1990s