Norman Sillman
Encyclopedia
Norman Henry Sillman, ARCA
, FRBS (born 4 May 1921 in London
, England
) is a designer of coins, including one pound coin
s for the Royal Mint
.
, where his father farmed. Due to severe drought they returned to England in 1934.
He commenced his art studies in September 1935 at Blackheath School of Art. His tutor was James Woodford
RA. As the art school was bombed during the Blitz
of 1940, he was unable to take his final examination but he had already been accepted for the Royal College of Art
and awarded a scholarship by the London County Council
. He began his studies there in September 1940 at their wartime quarters in Ambleside
before entering the army in April 1941.
and was later transferred to train at the Royal Artillery counter-battery Survey at Larkhill
. In late 1942, he was sent to Egypt
and then to Tripoli
to join the 3rd Survey Regiment of the Eighth Army group and took part in the invasion of Sicily
at Syracuse and the invasion of Italy
at Reggio Calabria
. The regiment continued in action through Italy until the end of the war in 1945. They were in action at most of the major engagements, Isernia
, the Sangro, Monte Cassino
, the Gothic Line & the hills before Bologna
for the final winter before the advance to Trieste
(wounded at Rio Nero November 1943). Long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of terror “it was not all excitement, a lot of the time both sides sat staring at each other until someone started shelling or whatever (though) we lost quite a few men through shelling, mines, aircraft attacks on vehicles & polio”. They were stationed at Ronche dello Legionnaire Nord, near Monfalcone
during the Trieste
crisis. He received home leave in September 1945 and married Gillian Drake (1921–2007) who was serving with the Auxiliary Territorial Service
. Before demobilisation in December 1946 he spent three months at the Academia d’Arte in Florence
under the Army Education Scheme.
He returned to his studies at the Royal College of Art
and completed his studies under Frank Dobson
RA & John Skeaping
RA. His wife, Gillian, also continued her studies at the Central School of Art. Their daughter, Caroline, was born 15 September 1947.
until late 1956. During this time he carried out various commissions, exhibited and taught part-time at the Borough Polytechnic (now London South Bank University
) and South East Essex Technical College Art Schools. He spent a considerable amount of time drawing at the London Zoo
, as the basis for animal sculptures. During this time he exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy
, R.B.A., London Group, S.E.A. and other shows. In 1956 he was appointed Head of Sculpture at Nottingham College of Art
(now part of Nottingham Trent University
). During these freelance years he worked in wood, stone, terracotta and clay for bronze and ciment fondu. He also made small scale models
for renowned model soldier company Britains Ltd including the well respected “Trojans Warriors” designed in 1957.
He received his first commission for a coin from the Royal Mint
in 1956 (for Bermuda) and became a Fellow of the Royal British Society of Sculptors
in 1959.
In Nottingham
, he continued with commissioned works (including the 6 metre ‘Power in Trust’ sculpture at Staythorpe in Nottingham) and exhibiting at the R.A. and other annual shows as well as coin and medal designing for various mints (The Royal Mint, irmingham Min, York (Birmingham) Mint, Metalimport, Sandhill Ltd, Danbury Mint
USA, Franklin Mint
USA, Glendinning USA, etc.) Over the years he designed numerous medals for Britain and abroad, and coins for some 30 countries. For Britain he designed the Scottish Commonwealth Games £2 piece and the four most recent £1 coin
reverses.
He became a committee member of the Midland Group of Artists, Nottingham, and a member of the Federation Internationale de la Medaille and exhibited with them overseas.
When the Nottingham College of Art became part of Trent Polytechnic he became senior Lecturer in the Fine Art Department. Later he gave courses of lectures for the Art History Department and toward the last, before retirement, a course of studies in Tribal Arts. It was through his work in this area that he wrote and published several articles in journals, of an “Archaeological/Anthropological” nature.
He retired from Trent Polytechnic in 1983 and moved from Collingham, Nottinghamshire
to Eye
, Suffolk
, where he continued to design coins, medals and other sculpture. He was elected to Eye Town (parish) Council and served from 1991–1999.
His main interests outside his work are natural history, archaeology, anthropology, ancient history, mythology and art history, mainly in the areas of ancient civilisations and tribal art.
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
, FRBS (born 4 May 1921 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is a designer of coins, including one pound coin
One pound coin
One pound coin can refer to:*One pound *One pound...
s for the Royal Mint
Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
.
Biography
Sillman was born in London in 1921. In 1924, the family moved to Pyramid Hill, AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where his father farmed. Due to severe drought they returned to England in 1934.
He commenced his art studies in September 1935 at Blackheath School of Art. His tutor was James Woodford
James Woodford
James Woodford was an English sculptor-Life:Woodford was born in Nottingham in 1893. His father was a lace designer. Woodford started studying at the Nottingham School of Art, but his studies were curtailed when he enlisted during the First World War. After the war, he continued his training at...
RA. As the art school was bombed during the Blitz
Blitz
-Armed conflict:*The Blitz, the German aerial attacks on Britain in WWII. The name Blitz was subsequently applied to many individual bombing campaigns or attacks.*Blitzkrieg, the "lightning war", a strategy of World War 2 Germany-People:...
of 1940, he was unable to take his final examination but he had already been accepted for the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
and awarded a scholarship by the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
. He began his studies there in September 1940 at their wartime quarters in Ambleside
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
before entering the army in April 1941.
War service
At first he served with the 423 Battery London Scottish Royal ArtilleryRoyal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
and was later transferred to train at the Royal Artillery counter-battery Survey at Larkhill
Larkhill
Larkhill is a garrison town in the civil parish of Durrington, Wiltshire, England. It is a short distance west of Durrington village proper and north of the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge. It is about north of Salisbury....
. In late 1942, he was sent to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and then to Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
to join the 3rd Survey Regiment of the Eighth Army group and took part in the invasion of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
at Syracuse and the invasion of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
at Reggio Calabria
Reggio Calabria
Reggio di Calabria , commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio, is the biggest city and the most populated comune of Calabria, southern Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria and seat of the Council of Calabrian government.Reggio is located on the "toe" of the Italian...
. The regiment continued in action through Italy until the end of the war in 1945. They were in action at most of the major engagements, Isernia
Isernia
Isernia Isernia Isernia (Latin: Aesernia or, in Pliny and later writers, Eserninus, or in the Antonine Itinerary, Serni is a town and comune in the central Italian region of Molise, and the capital of Isernia province.- Geography :...
, the Sangro, Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, Italy, c. to the west of the town of Cassino and altitude. St. Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery, the source of the Benedictine Order, here around 529. It was the site of Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944...
, the Gothic Line & the hills before Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
for the final winter before the advance to Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
(wounded at Rio Nero November 1943). Long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of terror “it was not all excitement, a lot of the time both sides sat staring at each other until someone started shelling or whatever (though) we lost quite a few men through shelling, mines, aircraft attacks on vehicles & polio”. They were stationed at Ronche dello Legionnaire Nord, near Monfalcone
Monfalcone
Monfalcone is a town and comune of the province of Gorizia , located on the coast of the Gulf of Trieste. Monfalcone means "Mount of Falcon" in Italian....
during the Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
crisis. He received home leave in September 1945 and married Gillian Drake (1921–2007) who was serving with the Auxiliary Territorial Service
Auxiliary Territorial Service
The Auxiliary Territorial Service was the women's branch of the British Army during the Second World War...
. Before demobilisation in December 1946 he spent three months at the Academia d’Arte in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
under the Army Education Scheme.
He returned to his studies at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
and completed his studies under Frank Dobson
Frank Dobson
Frank Gordon Dobson, is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Holborn and St. Pancras since 1979...
RA & John Skeaping
John Skeaping
John Rattenbury Skeaping, RA was an English sculptor and equine painter.Born in South Woodford, Essex, Skeaping studied at Goldsmith's College, London, and later at the Royal Academy. He was the first husband of the sculptor Barbara Hepworth, with whom he exhibited during the 1920s...
RA. His wife, Gillian, also continued her studies at the Central School of Art. Their daughter, Caroline, was born 15 September 1947.
Art groups and commissions
He was awarded his ARCA degree in 1949 and became a sculptor in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
until late 1956. During this time he carried out various commissions, exhibited and taught part-time at the Borough Polytechnic (now London South Bank University
London South Bank University
London South Bank University is a university in south London. With over 25,000 students and 1,700 staff, it is based in the London Borough of Southwark, near the South Bank of the River Thames, from which it takes its name...
) and South East Essex Technical College Art Schools. He spent a considerable amount of time drawing at the London Zoo
London Zoo
London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually opened to the public in 1847...
, as the basis for animal sculptures. During this time he exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
, R.B.A., London Group, S.E.A. and other shows. In 1956 he was appointed Head of Sculpture at Nottingham College of Art
Nottingham Trent University, School of Art and Design
Founded in 1843, the School of Art and Design at Nottingham Trent University is one of the oldest in the United Kingdom and currently has more than 2,500 students.-History:...
(now part of Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University is a public teaching and research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as a new university in 1992 from the existing Trent Polytechnic , however it can trace its roots back to 1843 with the establishment of the Nottingham Government School of Design...
). During these freelance years he worked in wood, stone, terracotta and clay for bronze and ciment fondu. He also made small scale models
Toy soldier
A toy soldier is a miniature figurine that represents a soldier. The term applies to depictions of uniformed military personnel from all eras, and includes knights, cowboys, pirates, and other subjects that involve combat-related themes. Toy soldiers vary from simple playthings to highly realistic...
for renowned model soldier company Britains Ltd including the well respected “Trojans Warriors” designed in 1957.
He received his first commission for a coin from the Royal Mint
Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
in 1956 (for Bermuda) and became a Fellow of the Royal British Society of Sculptors
Royal British Society of Sculptors
The Royal British Society of Sculptors is a registered charity whose aims are to promote and support sculpture. It has a worldwide membership....
in 1959.
In Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, he continued with commissioned works (including the 6 metre ‘Power in Trust’ sculpture at Staythorpe in Nottingham) and exhibiting at the R.A. and other annual shows as well as coin and medal designing for various mints (The Royal Mint, irmingham Min, York (Birmingham) Mint, Metalimport, Sandhill Ltd, Danbury Mint
Danbury Mint
The Danbury Mint, is a division of MBI, Inc. that markets a variety of collectibles. Danbury Mint historically marketed high quality medals and ingots produced by others exclusively for them. The company also sold numerous other collectible offering including plates, bells, sculptures, etc...
USA, Franklin Mint
Franklin Mint
The Franklin Mint is a private corporation founded by Joseph Segel in 1964. The private mint operated from Wawa, Pennsylvania but that operation has now closed...
USA, Glendinning USA, etc.) Over the years he designed numerous medals for Britain and abroad, and coins for some 30 countries. For Britain he designed the Scottish Commonwealth Games £2 piece and the four most recent £1 coin
British One Pound coin
The circulating British one pound coin is minted from a nickel-brass alloy of approximately 70% copper, 24.5% zinc, and 5.5% nickel. The coin weighs 9.50 grams and has a diameter of 22.50 millimetres...
reverses.
He became a committee member of the Midland Group of Artists, Nottingham, and a member of the Federation Internationale de la Medaille and exhibited with them overseas.
When the Nottingham College of Art became part of Trent Polytechnic he became senior Lecturer in the Fine Art Department. Later he gave courses of lectures for the Art History Department and toward the last, before retirement, a course of studies in Tribal Arts. It was through his work in this area that he wrote and published several articles in journals, of an “Archaeological/Anthropological” nature.
He retired from Trent Polytechnic in 1983 and moved from Collingham, Nottinghamshire
Collingham, Nottinghamshire
Collingham is a village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England.Collingham is located on the banks of the River Trent on the A1133 main road, just off the A46...
to Eye
Eye, Suffolk
Eye is a small market town in the county of Suffolk, East Anglia, England, south of Diss, and on the River Dove.Eye is twinned with the town of Pouzauges in the Vendée Departement of France.-History:An island...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, where he continued to design coins, medals and other sculpture. He was elected to Eye Town (parish) Council and served from 1991–1999.
His main interests outside his work are natural history, archaeology, anthropology, ancient history, mythology and art history, mainly in the areas of ancient civilisations and tribal art.
External links
- A carving of Mary and Baby Jesus in Eye church
- Power in Trust sculpture
- Toy Soldiers
- http://www.knightsofavalon.com/britain_herald.htm
- http://plasticsoldiers.adr.dk/Trojans.htm
- Coins
- £1 coin designs
- http://jerseycoins.com/com_2/com_2.htm
- http://www.24carat.co.uk/1997poundenglishthreelionsframe.html
- http://www.jochenlueg.freeuk.com/english/broightergold.htm
- http://www.rotterdammer.net/product_info.php?cPath=112_788&products_id=20690&osCsid=051fd4b39939e611940888681f1fb7c3
- http://www.museum-of-money.org/five/britain2.htm
- Will Coles, Sillman's grandson (also a sculptor)
