(1788 - 1867)
Sculptor, designer and silver modeller Edward Hodges Baily was born in Bristol; the son of a ship’s carver. He left school at 14 and worked at a counting house. After meeting a modeller in wax, he entered the studio of John Flaxman. He enrolled at the Royal Academy Schools, aged 20, and was elected a full academician (1821) and fellow of the Royal Society (1842). He became chief designer for silversmith Paul Storr and chief modeller for goldsmiths Rundell, Bridge and Rundell, after Flaxman’s death. However, he is best-known for sculptures, including the figure of Nelson which surmounts W. Railton’s memorial column in Trafalgar Square. Despite his successes, he was bankrupt in 1831 and 1838. He died in poverty in Holloway, London, aged 79.
