Geoffrey Holden

Holden was the son of Harold Henry Holden, himself an established artist and principal of the Birmingham Municipal School of Art from 1928-46, who had four sons. Three of them – Geoffrey Hamilton, John Hamilton and Douglas Hamilton – became artists, while the other son Rupert was a civil engineer. Geoffrey Holden attended the Birmingham School of Art and the Royal College of Art, and then became a jewelry artist and silversmith. He later taught at Tunbridge Wells Art School and the Brighton College of Art. He also wrote “The Craft of the Silversmith”, published in 1954.

The submitted Design for Vase may well have been used for “The King’s Gold Vase”, a trophy at the Royal Ascot Race Week. The vase was probably created in 1947 as a prize for the “King’s Vase” race, now again called “Queen’s Vase” as it had been originally.