Alfred Turner

He was also a member and fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors. His daughter was also a distinguished sculptor.

• Born — 28 May 1874 • Birthplace — London, England • Died — 18 March 1940 • Place of death — London, England • Known for — Sculpture • Training — * South London Technical Art School • Royal Academy Schools

Turner was born in London on 28 May 1874, the son of sculptor C.E. Halsey-Turner. In 1899 he married Charlotte Ann Gavin and they had two daughters. One daughter, Winifred, became a distinguished sculptor. He first studied at, what was then called, the South London Technical Art School in Lambeth at a time when William Silver Frith was the modelling master. He then studied at Royal Academy Schools, having enrolled in 1895. He was there for three years during which time he was awarded in 1897 both the gold medal and travelling scholarship, worth £200. He studied for a period on the Continent and worked as an assistant in the studio of Harry Bates. Turner taught sculpture at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in Southampton Row, Holborn in 1907. Turner exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1898 to 1937, became an Associate in 1922 and a full member in 1931. He was one of the early members of the Royal Society of British Sculptors and was a Fellow of that Society from 1923 until 1940. He died in London on 18 March 1940. In 1988 the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford held an exhibition of the works of Alfred Turner and his daughter Winifred.

In 1901 Turner exhibited a marble statue entitled Fisher girl; for a niche at the Royal Academy. In 1902 this work, renamed Fisherwoman, with a companion piece, Fisherman, was placed in the staircase niches of Fishmonger's Hall in London. Turner was given the commission to sculpt the two figures in 1899 when the hall was being redecorated. He received the commission based on the recommendation of William Silver Frith and was paid around 600 guineas for each statue. • Illustration — "Fisherwoman" • Illustration — "Fisherman"

After the success of "Fishergirl", Turner secured commissions for three public monuments in bronze of Queen Victoria who died in January 1901. One was for Delhi and was unveiled by the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab on 26 December 1902. Turner showed a bronze statuette of that work at the Royal Academy in 1903. The crown and the small statuettes representing "Justice" and "Peace", which were positioned on either side of the Queen's head were subsequently removed by vandals in 1905 when the statue was in India. Today the statue is at the College of Art, Tilak Marg, in Delhi. Another version of the Queen Victoria statue was made for Tynemouth in north east England. The third statue was for Sheffield and was a complex, larger than life-size, composition with figures of a mother and her children and a Sheffield workman. It was originally erected in 1905 at Fargate, but was moved to Sheffield's Endcliffe Park. The mother and workman are depicted in Maternity and Labour, both shown at The Royal Academy in 1904. The statue has reliefs representing Courage, in the form of a Crusader, with Justice and Truth. Another includes images of the Queen and St George. Turner was praised for his work. The statues were likened to Rodin's "Le Penseur" and the works of George Frederick Watts. Additionally it was stated that "Maternity is the best work by an outsider that the Academy has housed for many a year". In Tate Britain Archive there is a copy of the agreement dated 13 June 1905 between Turner and the Sheffield authorities. Turner was paid £3000 for his work. Thomas Brock was named in the agreement as one of two sureties. • Illustration — Queen Victoria, "Maternity" • Illustration — Queen Victoria,"Labour" • Illustration — Queen Victoria monument, Sheffield

In 1905 and 1906 Turner worked on a commission for the new Central Criminal Court building, the Old Bailey, in London. He produced three bas-reliefs in Portland stone, illustrating a quotation from Psalm 72-"Defend the children of the poor. Punish the wrong-doer". The reliefs are positioned inside the main entrance. The panel on the left side features an angel, her sword drawn to protect a woman and her children (the defence of the children of the poor) and that on the right shows a warrior who has slain a dragon and holds a severed head (punishing the wrongdoer). At his side a woman holds his shield. In the central panel another angel holds a globe and points downwards towards the building's main entrance. She is flanked by "Spring", who sews seed from a basket and "Autumn" who holds a sickle and a sheaf of wheat. Turner also designed some metal grills for New Sessions House (leaf-like clouds, a sun burst and a nude infant crowned by child angels).

• Illustration — Mother and Child • Cycle of Life, a bronze panel exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1913. • Dreams of Youth, 1932, Turner's Diploma Work for the Royal Academy. • Psyche, a marble statue dating from 1918 to 1919 was purchased in 1921 by the President and Council of the Royal Academy under the terms of the Chantrey Bequest and is now in Tate Britain. • The Hand, 1936, Tate Britain, purchased by the administrators of the Chantrey Bequest. • St George sculpture, whereabouts unknown, cast for use as a mascot for Lord Dureen's Rolls-Royce in 1927 • Mother and Child, 1936, given to the Victoria & Albert Museum by Miss Jessica Turner, one of Turner's daughters. • Turner sculpted the King Edward VII Memorial at Lyalipur in India, modern-day Faisalabad in Pakistan. It is not known if the work is still there.

Alfred Turner is recorded as a citizen of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Recorded with the occupation sculptor. Established in Library of Congress under nr89013667. Established in RKDartists under 425398. Established in FAST under 258677. Identity and origins. His recorded language was English. One child is recorded: Winifred Turner.