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Bust of Charles Norman Morrison by Paul Montford, 1928.
Paul Montford, sculptor of the bronze bust of Charles Norman Morrison in Norman Morrison Memorial Hall was born in London and studied at the Royal Academy of Arts from 1887. While studying, he won several scholarships and the Academy’s gold medal in 1891.
The bronze bust of Charles Norman Morrison was donated by several Old Collegians led by Roland Ravenscroft Wettenhall and was unveiled by the President of the Old Collegians’ Association, Dr Charles McKeddie Doig on Old Boys’ Day 28 March, 1928.
Although Montford became known for his sculpture work, during his early years he also specialized in architectural decoration. His architectural work in England included: Battersea Town Hall (1892), Charles Street Bridge, Westminster; Cardiff City Hall; Cardiff Law Courts; Kelvin Bridge; Glasgow (1914). In Westminster Abbey is a memorial to Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman by Montford. Montford taught sculpture at the School of Art, Chelsea, in 1898-1903, and was modelling master at the London Polytechnic for five years. In about 1921, he emigrated to Victoria though sculptural work here was infrequent. He taught at the Gordon Institute of Technology, Geelong, Victoria, and in July 1924 exhibited at the Geelong Art Gallery and became president of the Victorian Artists’ Society in 1930.
There are some seventy known works by Montford in Australia including: Adam Lindsay Gordon and George Higinbotham in Melbourne; John Wesley at Wesley Church; and memorials such as those of Carlo Catani at St Kilda; and Benjamin Chaffey at Mildura. Montford died at Richmond.
Sources: Pegasus May 1928 Pages 38-40; Jenny Zimmer, 'Montford, Paul Raphael (1868 - 1938)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 10, Melbourne University Press, 1986, p. 557.