An officers’ badge has found its own ticket to Ryde some 181 years after it was first commissioned for the opening of the Grade ll*-listed Royal Victoria Arcade in Union Street.
The badge, 1 of just 2 known to have been made, has now returned to join the other at the Ryde District Heritage Centre, run by Historic Ryde Society and situated within the arcade itself.
The Royal Victoria Arcade was the conceptualisation of William Houghton Banks, an entrepreneurial apothecary from Ryde. Named after the Princess, he was given permission to use her coat of arms, which still resides above the entrance.
Banks envisaged an arcade worthy of the visiting gentry and high society; tended by porters or ‘officers’ of the arcade. A lavish ceremony marked the opening in 1836, a year later than Banks had originally planned, and it was during 1835 he commissioned the 2 ‘officer’s’ badges from London silversmith John Harris.
Despite his best efforts, William Banks went bankrupt only a few months after the arcade opened and he fled to Belgium. The arcade has changed hands many times since; there have been several fires, including 1 during renovations in the early 1970s, and has survived more than 1 attempt to have it demolished. It was bought by Robert Cartwright and an associate in 1973 and subsequently passed down to Robert’s son, Roy.
The badge depicts the arcade in its original glory. Inscribed on the reverse with ‘W.H. Banks Esq’, it was recently offered at auction from The Arthur Holder Collection of Silver & Vertu, a private collection.
Chairman of the Society, Brian Harris has commented:
“We were delighted to be contacted by a specialist from the Silver department at Woolley & Wallis auctioneers, who recognised that this badge would be of particular interest to the Historic Ryde Society.
Article continues below this advertisement “An email was sent to our members asking for support in purchasing the item, and I was overwhelmed with the funding offered, including £150 from Roy Cartwright, the owner of the arcade.”
Brian headed to the Salisbury salerooms to bid in person and won the lot at the top estimate of £1,200.
