Gilbert Ledward RA, OBE, ARCA
Born 23 January 1888
Died 21 June 1960
Active: 1907 - 1960
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor, professor of sculpture
Born in London. Died at 31 Queen's Gate, London. Studied at Goldsmiths' College, London and at the Royal Academy Schools. In 1913 Ledward was awarded the first Prix de Rome in sculpture at the British School at Rome, and a gold medal and travelling scholarship by the Royal Academy. See H. Cunliffe-Charlesworth, 'The Royal College of Art', PhD thesis, (1991), vol. 3, appendix C, p. 589. No source is given.
Gilbert's sister (Phyllis) Hilda Ledward married the sculptor Newbury Abbot Trent (1885-1953) and his sister Enid married the painter and art school principal, Percy Jowett.
Wealth at death: £41,617 12s. 2d.
Probate date: 21 December 1960
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited. Click here for more information.
Hata
1929 (Circa)
Locations
Address 19 Oxford Road Putney London England | View on map
1911 (Circa) - 1920 (Circa)
Not continuously at this address
Address 37 Hotham Road Putney London SW England | View on map
1912 (Circa)
Address Palazzo Odescalchi Piazza SS Apostoli Rome Italy | View on map
1914 (Circa)
Whilst a student at the British School at Rome
Address 14A Cheyne Row Chelsea London England | View on map
1915 (Circa)
Address 33A Oxford Road Putney London SW England | View on map
1921 (Circa)
Address 1 Pembroke Walk Studios Pembroke Villas London England | View on map
1924 (Circa) - 1939 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Beneficiary of Leighton Fund (Royal Academy of Arts), 1896-1951
1950
Leighton Fund gave £1,500 for Ledward's work on a fountain in Sloane Square (see Royal Academy, 'Annual Report, 1950', 1951, p. 21).
Contestant in Fountain for Sloane Square (Royal Academy of Arts), 1948
1949
Winner of the Leighton Fund prize for a design for a 'Fountain for Sloane Square'.
Exhibited at Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society: Eleventh Exhibition, 1916
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1911 - 1960
Exhibited 43 times, about 126 works in all
Exhibited at The Royal Scottish Academy Exhibition, 1826-
1924 - 1938
Exhibited at the annual exhibition 5 times: 1924 (1 work), 1929 (2 works), 1932 (1 work), 1935 (1 work) and 1938 (1 work).
Exhibited at The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts Annual Exhibition, 1861-1951
1932 - 1944
Exhibited 6 times (an average of 1 work per show)
Exhibited at Exhibition of Open Air Sculpture, Battersea Park (London County Council), 1948
1948
Selection committee member of Chantrey Bequest (Chantrey Fund; Royal Academy of Arts), 1875-1948
1932 - 1950
Served on the Fund's Selection Committee in 1932, 1937, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1949 and 1950 (Royal Academy, 'Annual Report, 1932', 1933, p. 23).
Selection committee member of The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, The One Hundred and Seventieth (Summer Exhibition), 1938
5 April 1938 - 14 April 1938
Served on the Selection Committee and was responsible for the arrangement of sculpture. See Royal Academy, 'Annual Report, 1938' (1939), p. 30.
Selection committee member of The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, The One Hundred and Seventy-Fifth (Summer Exhibition), 1943
6 April 1943 - 13 April 1943
Served as a member of the Selection Committee, and was responsible for the arrangement of sculpture. See Royal Academy, 'Annual Report, 1943' (1944), p. 22.
Selection committee member of The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, The One Hundred and Eighty-First (Summer Exhibition), 1949.
29 March 1949 - 9 April 1949
Served on the Selection Committee, and was responsible for the arrangement of sculpture. See Royal Academy, 'Annual Report, 1949' (1950), p. 29.
Speaker at Italian Romanesque Churches (Art Workers Guild), 1933
Speaker at Psychology of Art (Art Workers Guild), 1933
Speaker at The Tools and Technique of the Greek Sculptors (Art Workers Guild), 1936
Won prize The British School at Rome Scholarship in Sculpture
1913
Ledward spent almost two years in Rome, however returned to London in 1915 because of the war.
Won prize Prize for the best work of sculpture exhibited in London
July 1927
Won the prize for his 'Guards Memorial', London. Ledward was presented with a silver medal.
Institutional and Business Connections
Adjudicated on a panel at The Glasgow School of Art
1948 - 1949
External Assessor for Modelling and Sculpture
Committee member of War Memorials Advisory Committee
1944 (Presumed) - 1946 (Presumed)
Served on Executive Committee
Committee member of Royal Society of Arts
1945 (Circa)
Represented the Royal Academy on the Society's War Memorials Advisory Council. See Royal Academy, 'Annual Report, 1945', (1946), p. 8.
Committee member of The Royal Mint
1946 (Circa)
Served on the Royal Mint Committee of Medals and Seals.
Elected ARA Royal Academy of Arts
21 April 1932 - 2 March 1937
See Popp and Valentine, 'Royal Academy of Arts Directory of Membership', (1996), p. 156.
Elected RA Royal Academy of Arts
2 March 1937 - 1960
Died in 1960. See Popp and Valentine, 'Royal Academy of Arts Directory of Membership', (1996), p. 156. Ledward's Diploma work was a roman stone sculpture entitled 'Earth Rests'. See Royal Academy, 'Annual Report, 1937', (1938), p. 82.
Fellow of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1923 - 1960
Died in 1960.
Member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1921 - 1960
Died in 1960.
Member of Art Workers Guild
1933 - 1938
Resigned 1938.
Member of council Royal Society of British Sculptors
1925 - 1950
Served as a member of the Council from 1925 to 1927, and from 1948
Member of council Royal Academy of Arts
1938 - 1950
Served as a Member of the Council from 1938 to 1939, 1943 to 1944, and from 1949 to 1950. See Royal Academy, 'Annual Report, 1937', (1938), p. 40.
President of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1954 - 1956
Professor of sculpture at Royal College of Art (including National Art Training School)
1927 - 1929
Listed as Professor of the School of Sculpture between 1927-9 in the annual prospectuses. Ledward resigned due to a disagreement with the principal, Sir William Rothenstein.
Studied at Royal College of Art (including National Art Training School)
1905 (Presumed) - November 1910
Listed as a student at the College (probably of modelling) for five years. Left the College in the 1910-1911 session. Ledward's subsequent professions are decsribed as follows: 'B. I. Scholarship - Will hold it R. A. Schools. Modelling Master - Lambeth School of Art'. See 'Register of R. C. A. Students' (1907-1924), p. 30.
Studied at Royal Academy Schools
29 November 1910 - 1911 (Presumed)
This start date is provided by Popp and Valentine, 'Royal Academy of Arts Directory of Membership', (1996), p. 156. In 1911, Ledward won a first prize of £30 for a model of a design. See Royal Academy, 'Annual Report, 1911', (1912), p. 40. In 1913, he was awarded a gold medal and travelling studentship of £200 for sculpture. See 'Annual Report, 1913', (1915), p. 29.
Teacher of modeling at South London Technical School of Art (also Lambeth School of Art and City and Guilds of London Art School)
See 'Register of R. C. A. Students' (1907-1924), p. 30, in which subsequent professions are listed for students of the College. No dates are given.
Visitor at Royal Academy Schools
1949 - 1950
Listed as a visitor to the Sculpture School. See Royal Academy, 'Annual Report, 1949', (1950), p. 39.
Personal and Professional Connections
Daughter/son/child of Richard Arthur Ledward
Nominated by Robert Anning Bell
31 March 1919
For RA.
Nominated by Reginald Theodore Blomfield
31 March 1919
For RA.
Nominated by George James Frampton
31 March 1919
For RA.
Nominated by William Goscombe John
31 March 1919
For RA.
Nominated by Frederick William Pomeroy
31 March 1919
For RA.
Nominated by Frank Short
31 March 1919 - 22 February 1927
Two nominations for RA, in 1919 and 1927.
Nominated by Francis Derwent Wood
31 March 1919
For RA.
Nominated by David Young Cameron
27 April 1923
For RA.
Nominated by John James Burnet
22 February 1927
For RA.
Nominated by George Clausen
22 February 1927
For RA.
Nominated by Philip Connard
22 February 1927
For RA.
Nominated by Francis Bernard Dicksee
22 February 1927
For RA.
Nominated by Charles Leonard Hartwell
22 February 1927
For RA.
Nominated by George Harcourt
22 February 1927
For RA.
Nominated by William Llewellyn
22 February 1927
For RA.
Nominated by Walter Westley Russell
22 February 1927
For RA.
Nominated by Malcolm Osborne
22 February 1927
For RA.
Nominated by Giles Gilbert Scott
22 February 1927
For RA.
Nominated by William McMillan
22 February 1927
For RA.
Nominator of Harold Brownsword
1926 (Presumed)
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors
Nominator of Frank Owen Dobson
2 December 1933
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA].
Nominator of (Arthur) Eric Rowton Gill
2 December 1933 - 22 April 1937
Two nominations for RA, in 1933 and 1937.
Nominator of Winifred Turner
27 April 1934
For RA; unsuccessful.
Nominator of James Arthur Woodford
22 April 1934
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA].
Nominator of Alan Lydiat Durst
19 December 1935 - February 1951
Three nominations for Associate of the Royal Academy ARA]. Date of nomination not specified as 'start date' or 'end date': March 1943.
Nominator of John Rattenbury Skeaping
11 February 1936 - March 1943
Two nominations for Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA], in 1936 and 1943.
Nominator of Maurice Lambert
11 February 1936 - 29 April 1928
Two nominations for Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA], in 1936 and 1938.
Nominator of E. Roland Bevan
26 April 1937 - February 1952
Three nominations for Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA], 1937-1952, all unsuccessful. Date of interim nomination not recorded as 'start date' or 'end date': January 1945.
Nominator of Leonard Jennings
22 April 1937
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA]; unsuccessful.
Nominator of John Francis Kavanagh
22 April 1937 - February 1952
Three nominations for Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA], 1937-1952, all unsuccessful. Date of nomination not specified as 'start date' or 'end date': January 1945.
Nominator of William James Bloye
1 March 1938
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA]; unsuccessful.
Nominator of (Arthur) Barney Seale
12 July 1938 - February 1946
Two nominations for Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA], in 1938 and 1946, both unsuccessful.
Nominator of Edward Bainbridge Copnall
1939
For membership of the RSBS
Nominator of Mark Wilfred Batten
1939
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors, presume nominated him a second time in 1950
Nominator of Dora Gordine
21 January 1942 - February 1956
Three nominations for Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA], 1942-1956, all unsuccessful. Date of nomination not specified as 'start date' or 'end date': 10 February 1949.
Nominator of Loris Rey
1 May 1942 - March 1957
Three nominations for Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA], 1942-1957, all unsuccessful. Date of nomination not specified as 'start date' or 'end date': February 1950.
Nominator of Harold Wilson Parker
1943
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors
Nominator of Siegfried Joseph Charoux
April 1943
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA].
Nominator of Edgar Allan Howes
March 1943 - February 1951
Two nominations for Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA], in 1943 and 1951, both unsuccessful.
Nominator of Edwin Whitney-Smith
March 1943
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA]; unsuccessful.
Nominator of Ferdinand Victor Blundstone
January 1944
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA]; unsuccessful.
Nominator of (Joseph) Hermon Cawthra
January 1944 - February 1952
Two nominations for Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA], in 1944 and 1952, both unsuccessful.
Nominator of David McFall
27 April 1945 - April 1954
Two nominations for Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA], in 1945 and 1954.
Nominator of Estcourt James Clack
24 April 1946
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA]; unsuccessful.
Nominator of Alfred Horace Gerrard
1948 (Presumed)
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors
Nominator of Karin Margareta Jonzen
21 April 1949 - March 1957
Two nominations for Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA], in 1949 and 1957, both unsuccessful.
Nominator of Eric Clare Telford Schilsky
21 April 1950
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA].
Nominator of Charles D'Orville Pilkington Jackson
1951
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors, on the occasion of the 500th Council Meeting of the RSBS
Nominator of Edward Charles N. Folkard
March 1958
For Associate of the Royal Academy [ARA]; unsuccessful.
Related to Newbury Abbot Trent
Trent was married to (Phyllis) Hilda Ledward (1886-1955) sister of Gilbert Ledward
Related to Percy H. Jowett
Percy Jowett was married to Gilbert Ledward's sister, Enid (born 1889),
Studied with Newbury Abbot Trent
1911 (Circa)
at the Royal Academy Schools
Worked with Gerald (Gerolamo) Giudici
Based on information from Roy Noakes (1936-2002) who served some of his apprenticeship with Giudici, Ledward employed Gerald Giudici and his carvers on several projects.
Sources
Aberdeen Artists' Society. Twentieth Exhibition of Works of Modern Masters, 1929
November 1929
p. 71
Annual Report from the Council of The Royal Academy to the General Assembly of Academicians for the Year 1937, 1938 Royal Academy Annual Reports
1938
pp. 23, 40, 82
Annual Report from the Council of The Royal Academy to the General Assembly of Academicians for the Year 1949, 1950 Royal Academy Annual Reports
1950
pp. 18, 20, 29, 39
Annual Report of The Glasgow School of Art 1948-49
14 October 1949
Art Workers Guild Annual Reports, 1913-1933
1933, pp.11-12, p.15, p.36.
Arts and Crafts Society: Catalogue of the Eleventh Exhibition.
1916
p.244.
List of Members: Royal Society of British Sculptors
2008
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
2004
Catherine Moriarty, ‘Ledward, Gilbert (1888–1960)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/34463, accessed 23 July 2009]
Prospectus of the Royal College of Art, 1926-1927 Royal College of Art
1926
Unpaged staff list.
Prospectus of the Royal College of Art, 1928-1929 Royal College of Art
1928
Unpaged staff list.
Register of Royal College of Art Students, 1907-1924 Royal College of Art
1907
p. 30.
Royal Academy of Arts Nominations for Associateship, 1906-1927
1927
p.108.
Royal Academy of Arts Nominations for Associateship, 1927-1938
1938
p.41, pp.149-150, p.203, p.210, p.213, p.221, pp.225-226, p.234, p.241, p.247, p.250.
Royal Academy of Arts Nominations for Associateship, c.1939-c.1961
1961 (Circa)
pp.16-18, p.31, p.34, p.82, p.86, p.98, p.104, p.107, p.139, p.149, p.157, p.181, p.205, p.222, p.232.
Royal Society of British Sculptors. Annual Report of Council, with Accounts for the Year Ending 31 December 1926, to be Presented at the Twenty-Second Ordinary General Meeting, 1927
February 1927
pp. 2, 5
Royal Society of British Sculptors. Annual Report of the Council, for the Year Ending 31 December 1949, to be Presented at the Forty-Sixth Annual General Meeting, 1950
February 1950
p. 2.
Royal Society of British Sculptors. Annual Report of the Council, for the Year Ending 31 December 1950, to be Presented at the Forty-Seventh Annual General Meeting, 1951
February 1951
p. 2.
Royal Society of British Sculptors. Annual Report of the Council, with Accounts for the Year Ending the 31st December, 1948, to be Presented at the Forty-Fifth Ordinary General Meeting, 1949
March 1949
p. 2 and p. 5.
The British School at Rome: one hundred years
2001
p. 210
The fifty-fifth annual report of the committee of the Art-Workers' Guild, 1939
1939
p.20.
The fifty-fourth annual report of the committee of the Art-Workers' Guild, 1938
1938
p.18, p.39.
The fifty-third annual report of the committee of the Art-Workers' Guild, 1937
1937
p.13.
The Royal College of Art: Its Influences on Education, Art and Design 1900-1950, 1991 Royal College of Art
August 1991
p. 589.
Citing this record
'Gilbert Ledward RA, OBE, ARCA', 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/person.php?id=msib2_1207265384, accessed 27 Sep 2023]
