Joseph Gawen, a deaf sculptor, sculpted this bust of King Edward VII in 1879 when he still was the Prince of Wales. It was erected in St. Saviour’s Church for the Deaf in Oxford Street, London, and was relocated to Acton Deaf Centre in 1923. The inscription on the reverse of the bust reads: J. Gawen, Sc. London 1879. Following the closure of Acton Deaf Centre in 2014 the Royal Association of Deaf People donated the bust to the Deaf Museum.
Who was he?
Joseph Gawen was born in Brighton, Sussex, in October 1825, the son of a cabinet-maker. It is not known if Joseph was born deaf but he had a deaf brother, Charles. In 1839 Joseph and Charles were pupils at the Old Kent Road Asylum and after five years Joseph left school. He studied at the Royal Academy School from 1847 on the recommendation of William Behnes, a sculptor. Gawen had submitted his work to the Royal Academy from Behnes’ studio address. He found employment as an apprentice with Edward Hodges Baily, a renowned sculptor.
Gawen completed his apprenticeship and became an assistant to the distinguished sculptor John Henry Foley with whom he worked on an outline of the Albert Memorial but the contract was unfortunately awarded to another bidder.
Gawen sculptured two marble busts of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. Gawen was sculpturing the bust from a photograph but wanted to have the Prince of Wales sitting for him to complete his work so he asked him.
The Prince retorted, “Shall not you want to measure me? I am sure you have made me too fat!”
One bust was given to St. Saviour’s Church in ondon and another to the Royal School for the Deaf, Margate.
Gawen had exhibited seven times but ceased to exhibit in the 1880s and died in 1901 after a fall from a hansom cab in Holborn, London.