Arnold Machin
Encyclopedia
Arnold Machin O.B.E, R.A.(30 September 1911 – 9 March 1999) was a British
artist, sculptor, coin and stamp designer.
Machin was born in Stoke-on-Trent
in 1911. He started work at the age of 14 as an apprentice china painter at the Minton Pottery. During the Depression
he learnt to sculpt at Stoke-on-Trent's Art School
, which was opposite the Minton factory. In 1934 he moved to Derby, where he met his wife Patricia.
After imprisonment in the Second World War as a conscientious objector
, he returned to modelling and sculpture, and created many notable ceramics which are now prized collectors' items. In 1946 he was elected an associate member of the Royal Academy
, was appointed a Master of Sculpture from 1959 to 1966 and became the longest-serving member of the Academy. He was elected an Academician in 1956 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors. From 1951 he was a tutor at the Royal College of Art
, where he entered the culture that was to bring him his most celebrated commissions.
for the decimal coinage, which was to be introduced from 1968. This effigy was used for all British coins until 1984. It was still on coins of New Zealand
and Australia
Until 1985 and 1986 respectively, and it remained on Canada
's coinage until 1989.
In 1966 the Queen approved Machin's similar design for an effigy of her to be used on what come to be known as the "Machin series
" of British definitive
postage stamps. Machin produced a bas-relief in clay, which when combined with a different coloured background, is reminiscent of the overlaid decoration of potteries such as Wedgwood
. The design was first used on the 4d
value which was issued in June 1967, and has been used on all British definitive stamps (except more recent regional issues) ever since. It is thought that this design is the most reproduced work of art in history with, to date, approximately 320 billion copies produced.
In 2007 the Machin-designed stamp was still in use at its 40th anniversary and to mark the occasion, the Post Office
issued a commemorative stamp featuring a photograph of Arnold Machin. It was also available for sale in a miniature sheet which incorporated another stamp with a reproduction of a Machin series
stamp as well as two actual £1 Machins in different colours.
Machin and his wife Patricia had a son, Francis (1949-2007) who was an artist too and an architect. After Francis died, the possessions of Arnold Machin in his house in rural Staffordshire
were sold in auction on September and October 2008 by Cuttlestones. The possessions included the fourth of the final plasters known made to create the Machin stamp series
, the three others are kept in the Royal Mail
archives.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
artist, sculptor, coin and stamp designer.
Machin was born in Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
in 1911. He started work at the age of 14 as an apprentice china painter at the Minton Pottery. During the Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
he learnt to sculpt at Stoke-on-Trent's Art School
Stoke-on-Trent College of Art
The Stoke-on-Trent Regional College of Art was one of three colleges that were merged in 1971 to form North Staffordshire Polytechnic...
, which was opposite the Minton factory. In 1934 he moved to Derby, where he met his wife Patricia.
After imprisonment in the Second World War as a conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
, he returned to modelling and sculpture, and created many notable ceramics which are now prized collectors' items. In 1946 he was elected an associate member of 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...
, was appointed a Master of Sculpture from 1959 to 1966 and became the longest-serving member of the Academy. He was elected an Academician in 1956 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors. From 1951 he was a tutor 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...
, where he entered the culture that was to bring him his most celebrated commissions.
Stamp and coin designs
In 1964 Machin was chosen to design a new effigy of the QueenElizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
for the decimal coinage, which was to be introduced from 1968. This effigy was used for all British coins until 1984. It was still on coins of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
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...
Until 1985 and 1986 respectively, and it remained on Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's coinage until 1989.
In 1966 the Queen approved Machin's similar design for an effigy of her to be used on what come to be known as the "Machin series
Machin series
The Machin series of postage stamps is the main definitive stamp series in the United Kingdom, used since 5 June 1967. It is the second series to figure the image of Elizabeth II, replacing the Wilding series....
" of British definitive
Definitive stamp
A definitive stamp is a postage stamp, that is part of a regular issue of a country's stamps available for sale by the postal service for an extended period of time...
postage stamps. Machin produced a bas-relief in clay, which when combined with a different coloured background, is reminiscent of the overlaid decoration of potteries such as Wedgwood
Wedgwood
Wedgwood, strictly speaking Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, is a pottery firm owned by KPS Capital Partners, a private equity company based in New York City, USA. Wedgwood was founded on May 1, 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood and in 1987 merged with Waterford Crystal to create Waterford Wedgwood, an...
. The design was first used on the 4d
Penny (British pre-decimal coin)
The penny of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, was in circulation from the early 18th century until February 1971, Decimal Day....
value which was issued in June 1967, and has been used on all British definitive stamps (except more recent regional issues) ever since. It is thought that this design is the most reproduced work of art in history with, to date, approximately 320 billion copies produced.
In 2007 the Machin-designed stamp was still in use at its 40th anniversary and to mark the occasion, the Post Office
Post Office Ltd.
Post Office Ltd is a retail post office company in the United Kingdom that provides a wide range of products including postage stamps and banking to the public through its nationwide network of post office branches.-Structure:Post Office Ltd...
issued a commemorative stamp featuring a photograph of Arnold Machin. It was also available for sale in a miniature sheet which incorporated another stamp with a reproduction of a Machin series
Machin series
The Machin series of postage stamps is the main definitive stamp series in the United Kingdom, used since 5 June 1967. It is the second series to figure the image of Elizabeth II, replacing the Wilding series....
stamp as well as two actual £1 Machins in different colours.
Family
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
were sold in auction on September and October 2008 by Cuttlestones. The possessions included the fourth of the final plasters known made to create the Machin stamp series
Machin series
The Machin series of postage stamps is the main definitive stamp series in the United Kingdom, used since 5 June 1967. It is the second series to figure the image of Elizabeth II, replacing the Wilding series....
, the three others are kept in the Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
archives.