HOME PAGE
MEDALS &
MEDALLIC ART
COINS
ARCHIVE
BOOKS
ORDERS &
ENQUIRIES
Christopher Eimer
P.O. BOX 352
London
NW11 7RF
United Kingdom
Tel. (+44)
020 8458 9933
Fax. (+44)
020 8455 3535
Mobile. (+44)
07976 259533
art@christophereimer.co.uk
Site Last Updated:
17 November 2008
Payment may be by Credit Card through the PayPal system. This is both safe and secure, and there are no additional costs to the buyer for paying by this method.
If you have come to this website by chance and simply require a valuation or information about an item that has come into your possession, you would be best advised to approach an auction house or museum as this is a service which we are unable to provide.
If you have a medal or a collection of medals that you do wish to sell, then your call or e-mail is welcomed, but under no circumstances can offers be made without seeing and examining items. Thank you.
|
|
430. The Mount Everest Flight Expedition Medal Awarded to Air Commodore P.F.M. Fellowes, D.S.O., 1933
A biplane in flight, to right; a snow-capped mountain range beyond.
An inscription detailing the award of the medal.
Edge inscribed: Air Commodore P.F.M. Fellowes. D.S.O.
By Percy Metcalfe.
Silver. 51 mm. (2.05 inches) in diameter.
Extremely fine, contained within its original gilt-tooled case.
Sorry this item is sold.
References: Brown 4242; Eimer 2022; Royal Mint Report 1932, plate B. 1-2; Eimer, Sir Robert Johnson, the Mint and Medal Making in Inter-War Britain, British Numismatic Journal 1985, pp. 169-91.
Notes: Details of the expedition are set out in the book 'First over Everest - The Houston-Mount Everest Expedition' (1933), written by Air-Commodore Fellowes, and some of its other members, L.V. Stewart Blacker, Colonel P.T. Etherton and Squadron Leader the Marquess of Douglas and Cydesdale, M.P. It epitomises the spirit of daring-do, but as the Foreword, written appropriately enough by John Buchan, makes clear, the purpose of the expedition 'was not to perform a feat of daring and endurance', nor indeed, 'to break a record or break a record'. Noble though these objectives were, the true purpose of the expedition was to demonstrate that the 'aeroplane and the air camera could be made the means of acquiring important knowledge which would otherwise be unattainable'.
The expedition comprised two separate flights, on 3 and 19 April 1933, in which a total of four pilots, and two observer / camermen took part. It was largely funded by Lady Houston, who saw the need to prove that 'pluck and courage' were not dead in Britain, and were worthy of some 'great deed of heroism'. The footage resulting from the flights formed the basis of the film 'Wings over Everest', which was produced by the Gaumont-British Picture Corporation.
The decision by The Times newspaper to commemorate this pioneer flight with a medal was made at the eleventh hour. In view of the time scale, and in order to minimize any risk to the dies on striking, the medals were made in pure silver instead of the usual sterling .925 hardness. The entire project from conception to striking took just two weeks, and ten medals were delivered to The Times offices ready for the presentation ceremony on 31 May.
Despite only one side of the medal having a design, it will have sorely tested the skills of the medallist Percy Metcalfe, who succeeded in producing a design which not only captures the mood of the moment, but which is amongst his best medallic work.
Would you please note that you are in the ARCHIVE page of the website, where all sold items are placed. For items that are still available, please go to the menu opposite and click on MEDALS & MEDALLIC ART.
(Please click here for MEDALS or here for ARCHIVE). |
|
