Duke of Gloucester Gold Medal for Masonry goes to Richard Kindersley
The Duke of Gloucester Gold Medal for outstanding achievement in the stone industry has been awarded to Richard Kindersley, the distinguished lettercutter and sculptor.
The Award was presented by HRH The Duke of Gloucester at the annual Master’s Banquet of The Worshipful Company of Masons held at London’s Mansion House on 1 March.
The Medal is awarded every three years to honour an individual whose work is of considerable merit and whose contribution to the craft and the industry is acknowledged by their peers.
The Award is sponsored jointly by The Worshipful Company of Masons – one of the City of London’s oldest Livery Companies – and Stone Federation Great Britain.
Announcing the award, David Blake, Master of the Masons’ Company, said: “Richard Kindersley has spent over 50 years of his life revitalising the craft of free drawn lettering and inscriptions by emulating the ancient craft and at the same time adapting it successfully to the 20th and 21st centuries.
“He has made carved lettering relevant to present day architects and collectors, inspiring them to use this craft in contemporary settings.”
David’s accomplishments are wide ranging. They include the design of title lettering for bridges, including London Bridge, Tower Bridge and the Queen Elizabeth Bridge over the Thames at Dartford, Crown Court Buildings in Liverpool, Leeds, Swindon, Newcastle and Luton, University buildings in Cambridge, Oxford, Exeter, Kent and Staffordshire, commercial buildings, government buildings, museums and others.
Last year, he was commissioned for the Portland stone Bomber Command Memorial in London unveiled by Her Majesty The Queen in June.
He has lectured widely on both the historical aspects of architectural lettering and the present developments within the context of his own work. He has received honorary degrees and over the years has trained many successful craftspeople in his London Studio. It is a measure of his contribution that there are many more independent lettercarvers of the highest quality practising today than there were 20 years ago.