Franco-British Exhibition 1908 Diploma for Silver Medal awarded to Muriel Binney for her frieze 'Sydney Harbour Foreshores at Sunset'

Subject or historical figure Muriel Binney (Australian, 1873 - 1949)

Engraver George W Eve (1855 - 1914)

Date1908

Object number00028247

NameCertificate

MediumInk on paper

DimensionsOverall: 391 x 475 mm, 1 mm, 0.05 kg

ClassificationsEphemera

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Jerry Grover

Terms

DescriptionSilver medal certificate awarded to Muriel Binney for her frieze 'Sydney Foreshores at Sunset'. The certificate reads 'Franco-British Exhibition 1908 Shepherd's Bush, London, Diploma for Silver Medal awarded to Mrs M. Binney, New South Wales. For frieze'. An engraved allegory above depicts Athena and Nike holding out victory wreaths to personifications of the arts and sciences. 'Sydney Harbour Foreshores at Sunset' was completed by Muriel Binney in 1907 and is part of the Australian National Maritime Collection in four panels (00008634-00008637).HistoryThe Franco-British Exhibition (1908) attracted 8 million visitors and celebrated the Entente Cordiale signed in 1904 by the United Kingdom and France. Although not a professional artist, Muriel had shown an interest and apptitude for painting and drawing since her youth. She was clearly still very much pursuing her artistic interests at this time as this was the era in which she painted the Panorama of Sydney which was entered into the public exhibition in 1907. Family collections contain Christmas and greeting cards also by her and cartoons and sketches she made for her children. Her later attentions were focused primarily on her inventions. Of note is her design for a portable cot, known as the Warren Lodge Cot, in 1908 which was also exhibited at the Franco-British Exhibition in London. SignificanceWhile winnning for her panorama of Sydney Harbour, Binney was also acknowledged for her inventions which won prizes at the London Exhibition of 1908. Both the scale of her panorama and her long term pursuit of new inventions are indicative of a highly enquiring mind and a foray into genres and fields traditionally pursued by men.