Description

Commemorative bronze medal believed to mark the 1890 International Exhibition of Science Art and Industry held at Meggetland, Edinburgh. The medal depicts Britannia seated (left). She holds in her left hand, a winged wheel, olive and palm branches in her right. A hammer, anvil and the Forth Bridge are seen behind, to her right, a building (perhaps one specially constructed for the Exhibition) and locomotive to her left. The reverse is blank. Formerly on display at the Forth Bridges Visitor Centre, South Queensferry.

The medal was created and sculpted by Kirkwood and Son, Edinburgh. The text “KIRKWOOD & SON EDIN. INV. ET SC.” can be seen just below Britannia.

The second image shows the medal and original die (see https://ice-museum-scotland.hw.ac.uk/product/2013-017/ for the other medal and bar depicted).

This item was loaned to South Ayrshire Council for an exhibition Spanning the Centuries Sir William Arrol’s Legacy in Steel, Stone, and Culture. Roselle House Museum & Galleries, Ayr. February – May 2023.