{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O72793"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O72793/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM7026/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM7026/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AM7026","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MK5447","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MK5448","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MK5449","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MK5450","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MK5451","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O72793","accessionNumber":"A.50-1978","objectType":"Model","titles":[{"title":"Alfred Henry Forster, Lieutenant Royal Scots Greys (d. 1918)","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This is the working model for Cecil Thomas's tomb of Alfred Henry Forster, killed in action during the First World War. Thomas was commissioned by the parents of the deceased, Lord and Lady Forster (Lord Forster was Governor-General of Australia), to complete this memorial. The effigy in plasticine shows the young man lying with his right hand over his chest, his left arm by his side. An eagle rests at his feet and a laurel wreath by his head. Apparently, four versions of this tomb were cast in bronze. There is one each in Exbury in the New Forest; the Chapel of the Lamp, All Hallows Church by the Tower, Byward street, London; St John's Church, Bromley Road, Catford; and Newcastle Cathedral, Australia. The tomb in All Hallows Church was unveiled by Edward, Prince of Wales, in 1925. The inscriptions were apparently adapted for each version. The inscription on the Exbury Monument records that the monument was erected in memory of Lord and Lady Forster's two sons, John and Alfred, both killed in the First World War.\r\n\r\nThomas (1885-1976) was an English sculptor and medallist. He trained under his father’s gem engraving business in London and at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, London, where he also specialized in gem engraving. After 1918, when he exhibited sculpture at the Royal Academy for the first time, he became active in that field. ","physicalDescription":"The maquette is set on a thinly painted wood base, on one side of which is an inscription.\r\nA coat of arms and insignia are to either side of the inscription. On the other side of the tomb chest is another inscription. To each side are a further coat of arms and insignia.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Thomas, Cecil","id":"A6903"},"association":{"text":"sculptor","id":"AAT25181"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Wood, hardened plasticine and card","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"},{"text":"Death","id":"THES48970"},{"text":"Scotland","id":"THES262877"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2006AM7026","2019MK5447","2019MK5448","2019MK5449","2019MK5450","2019MK5451"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES395120"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES395120"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES395120"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES395120"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES395120"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"model","id":"AAT247279"}],[{"text":"tomb","id":"AAT5926"}],[{"text":"Fragment","id":"AAT117130"}],[{"text":"tomb","id":"AAT5926"}],[{"text":"Fragment","id":"AAT117130"}],[{"text":"tomb","id":"AAT5926"}],[{"text":"Fragment","id":"AAT117130"}],[{"text":"tomb","id":"AAT5926"}],[{"text":"Fragment","id":"AAT117130"}],[{"text":"tomb","id":"AAT5926"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1924","earliest":"1919-01-01","latest":"1928-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by the artist","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"20","unit":"cm","qualifier":"incl. candles","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"34.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"25","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'IN MEMORY OF ALFRED HENRY FORSTER LIEUTENANT . ROYAL . SCOTS . GREYS . / WHO DIED MARCH 10 1918 OF / WOUNDS RECEIVED IN ACTION / THIS MONVMENT WAS ERECTED / BY LORD & LADY FORSTER'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"inscription on one side"},{"content":"'ALFRED HENRY FORSTER LIEUT. IN THE / ROYAL SCOTS GREYS DIED MARCH 10 1918 / OF WOUNDS RECEIVED IN ACTION /  IN MEMORY OF HIS / SACRIFICE BARON / & LADY FORSTER / ERECTED / THIS MONVMENT'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"on the other side"}],"objectHistory":"Bequeathed by the artist in 1978 (together with a range of other obejcts, as for example A.47-1978 to A.49-1978, A.51-1978 and A.52-1978). A collection of gem and seal impressions mostly by Thomas was also bequeathed to the Department of Metalwork. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Model, wood, hardened plasticine and card, for tomb for Alfred Henry Forster, by Cecil Thomas, England, ca. 1924","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bilbey, Diane with Trusted, Marjorie, <u>British Sculpture 1470 to 2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum</u>, London, 2002, p. 466, cat. no. 756"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Forster, Alfred Henry","id":"N15956"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"tomb","id":"AAT5926"},{"text":"effigy","id":"AAT47108"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["A.50:1-1978","A.50:2-1978","A.50:3-1978","A.50:4-1978","A.50:5-1978"],"accessionNumberNum":"50","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1978,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019MJ3807","2019MJ3813","2019MJ3818"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-11-03","recordCreationDate":"2003-01-09","availableToBook":true}}