Art-workmanship Prizes (Royal Society of Arts), 1863-1870

Start Date: 1863
End Date: 1870

Type: Annual prize

Description: It is noted by Hudson and Luckhurst that the Society's Annual Report (1871) records that 'these competitions have now been carried on for several years, but the Council regret to observe that, in spite of the large amount of prizes offered, there is still wanting anything like an adequate response on the part of either manufacturers, designers, or workmen'. The report also suggested that as 'Annual Exhibitions of Industry' had now been established, there was no longer a need to offer prizes (see 'The Royal Society of Arts', 1954, pp. 264-65).

Policy: Set up in 1863 as a result of an exhibition of wood-carving held in conjunction with the Society of Wood Carvers. The RSA instituted a series of prizes for modelling, respoussé work, hammered work, carving, chasing, enamel, etc. The following year the scheme was extended to incorporate additional skills. The competitions were held annually. The prizes ceased in 1870, however, the Council announced that prizes would be offered for objects exhibited at the International Exhibition in 1871.

Citing this record

'Art-workmanship Prizes (Royal Society of Arts), 1863-1870', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/event.php?id=msib4_1276785474, accessed 02 Jun 2023]