Medals & Memorabilia in the World of Picture Framing Victor Johnson 15 May 2005 Picture Framers Guild

Introduction Mounting of Medals Order of Wear for Medals Legal Issues for Medals Commemorative Medals New Zealand Memorial Cross WWI Memorial Plaque Medal Preparation Mounting Styles Medal Ribbons Memorabilia Framing Examples Framing Considerations Pricing for Framing Framing Honour, Decoration & Award Medals Topics

Introduction More than 50,000 new medals New Zealand Operational Service for post-WWII campaigns have recently been issued, and still continue to be issued, to current and former New Zealand military personnel. Medalic recognition is formally known as Honours, Decorations and Awards Honours are now represented by New Zealand State Orders. Decorations and Awards are basically associated with military campaigns New Zealanders have been the recipients of British based awards in the past. Both the British and New Zealand system of awards have seen considerable change over the past two decades and a range of indigenous New Zealand awards has now replaced British military and state awards The families of recipients are framing Honour, Decoration and Award medals. They are sensitive to everything being in the correct order. Miniatures medals are worn on evening dress at appropriate occasions

Mounting of Medals Medals must be mounted in the correct order, length and width Full-sized medals with the obverse showing are worn alongside each other in the official Order of Precedence on a single bar brooch in a horizontal line placed centrally above the left breast pocket. The length of a full medal should be 95mm from top to bottom. The standard width for award and decoration ribbons is 32mm The width of mounted medals should be no more than 5 full medals, side-by-side. This is 160mm The medals are overlapped when the correct width is exceeded There are some exceptions, when medal ribbon width is greater than 32mm for example Do picture framers have a responsibility to inform clients of the above? Question The New Zealand Cross

Medals Order of Wear Medals must be mounted in the correct order of precedence in accordance with the New Zealand Order of Wear. The medal of highest precedence is mounted at the right hand end (nearest the lapel) of the medal bar. The order descends to the lowest precedence medal at the left hand end. In New Zealand, the medal with the highest precedence is the Victoria Cross and the lowest would be some awards made by foreign Governments. Military awards are worn in order campaign or award date Reference web page: The New Zealand Cross

Legal Issues for Medals Medals are only to be worn by the person to whom they were awarded. On ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day special allowance is made for relatives to wear medals on the RIGHT breast. ANZAC Day is 25 April Remembrance Day is 11 November The New Zealand Cross

Commemorative Medals Commemorative medals are being struck by organisations for fund raising Such medals have no applicability in relation to being framed or mounted with Honour, Decoration and Award medals Medals that exist include NZ Army 150 th Year, Compulsory Military Service, British Commonwealth Forces Association, Australian Nuclear Veterans Commemorative medals should not be mounted with formal medals. Some clients will insist they be therefore one must conform to client wishes

New Zealand Memorial Cross The meaning of th New Zealand Memorial Cross is not generally understood today It was instituted on 12 September 1947 by King George VI. It was awarded to the next-of-kin of NZ service personnel killed on active service. Since 1995, this includes deaths during peace-keeping operations. Award is made to the nearest female relative - if there is both a mother and a wife, 2 Crosses are awarded. The Memorial Cross can be mounted in frame with medals and other memorabilia

WWI Memorial Plaque The WWI Memorial Plaque exists in New Zealand. The plaque shows Britannia bestowing a laurel crown on a rectangular tablet bearing the full name of the dead in raised lettering. In front stands the British Lion, with dolphins in the upper field, an oak branch lower right and a lion cub clutching a fallen eagle in the exergue. The inscription round the circumference reads HE DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOVR. The Memorial Plaque was cast in bronze and is 120mm [4.72 inches]. Each plaque had the name of the soldier commemorated, individually embossed (although later some were engraved) as part of the design. The soldier's full name was given without any indication of rank or honours to show equality of sacrifice of all those who lost their lives. A scroll seven inches wide by eleven inches in height was designed to accompany the plaque.

Medal Preparation Medals presented for mounting or re-mounting are often in a sad condition. The ribbon is often in a damaged state, medals are tarnished The operative factor is that, in the majority of cases, they can be restored This is achieved by replacing ribbon, cleaning and lacquer of medals, and remounting There are two mounting styles swing and court

Mounting Styles Swing-mount for medals is an informal style. It contributes to early ribbon and medal damage Court-mount is the formal style, must be mounted as such when in Vice-Regal presence

Medal Ribbon Ribbon for Honours, Decorations and Award medals are as significant as the medal Stripes and colours in campaign medal ribbon are often linked to a country, campaign and branch of service The military service branch colours are: –Deep navy blue for Royal New Zealand Navy –Red for New Zealand Army –Sky blue for Royal New Zealand Air Force

Framing Considerations Military Memorabilia Framing considerations for mounting military medals and memorabilia include: –Photo placement –Medals placement –Medals to be detached for wearing –Memorabilia placement, such as badges and shoulder flashes –Frame type –Map board colour for background The New Zealand Cross

Framing Examples

The prices for framing military medals and memorabilia can be best done by the person doing the job There are many factors involved: –Type of frame –Type and colour of map board –Photo sizes –Medals. Do they have to be cleaned and ribbon renewed? –Memorabilia such as badges, shoulder flashes, Certificates of Discharge –Layout –Client wishes … ‘Just like my mate had his done’. You have no idea how that one is done Pricing for Framing

The NZ Defence Force has produced a set of two New Medals Posters The first poster features New Zealand Medals The second features British and Foreign Medals awarded to New Zealand military personnel. In all, over 100 New Zealand, British, United Nations and other foreign medals and ribbons are featured on the set of full-colour posters. The posters have been brought along today for your viewing New Zealand Medals Posters

New Zealand Medals Poster 1

British & Foreign Medals Poster 2

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