Plaque

This bronze plaque featuring Sir Henry Irving (1838-1905) was originally cast in 1887. This one, however, was made for a presentation in 1904, the year before Irving's death. It is dedicated and dated in the bronze in Irving's writing: 'With every good wish to Geoffrey, Henry Irving'. It is one of several plaques, medallions and sculptures featuring Irving that were made during his lifetime and after his death.

Irving dedicated his life to the theatre. After fifteen years acting in repertory from 1856 until 1871, he made his name at the Lyceum Theatre in the melodrama The Bells. For the next thirty-one years Irving starred at the Lyceum, holding audiences spellbound and setting new standards of production and performance that made his name legendary. He was the first actor ever to be granted a Knighthood, in 1895 and his death was a cause for national mourning.