Ferdinand Blundstone

Ferdinand Victor Blundstone (1882–1951) was a Swiss-born sculptor who worked in England. His father was Charles Blundstone, an India rubber merchant who was born in Manchester, England. He studied at the South London Technical Art School and Royal Academy Schools.

Blundstone's works include portraits and sculptures. After the Great War he executed several war memorials, including Folkestone War Memorial (now Grade II* listed).

Education
Blundstone studied Art at Ashton-under-Lyne and then at South London Technical Art School before entering the Royal Academy Schools. There his awards included the Landseer Scholarship which he was awarded in 1904 for one of his sculptures. He won a second place prize for a model in 1905. Two years later he was awarded a one-year Landseer Scholarship. Also in 1907 he won a traveling studentship of £200 and a gold medal.

Career
When Blundstone established himself as a sculptor, he had studios in London and in 1907 moved to Stamford Bridge Studios. Around 1907, he had a studio at Clifton Hill Studio. He lived in Manchester around 1908. He may have lived in Heaton Chapel (northern part of Stockport in Greater Manchester) with his family during World War I. In 1918 he moved to St. John's Wood. London was his home from around 1919 until his death in 1951.

Works
The following is a partial list of Blundstone's works.

Professional associations
Blundstone was a member of the following associations:
 * 1919–1951 – Member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
 * 1921–1923 – Member of council Royal Society of British Sculptors
 * 1924–1931 – Member of Art Workers' Guild
 * 1926–1951 – Fellow of Royal Society of British Sculptors
 * 1935–1936 – Member of council Royal Society of British Sculptors

Exhibits and competitions
Blundstone exhibitions entries include portraits, statues, trophies and war memorials:
 * 1903 – 'Tiger at Bay' shown at the Corporation of Manchester Art Gallery, Twenty-First Autumn Exhibition
 * 1907 – Jacob Wrestling with the Angel was shown at Corporation of Manchester Art Gallery, Twenty-Fifth Autumn Exhibition
 * 1907–1944 – at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition)
 * 1908 – Multiple works exhibited at Leeds City Art Gallery, The Spring Exhibition
 * 1916 – Design for a Garden Figure shown at Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society: Eleventh Exhibition
 * 1925 – For his garden sculpture, he won the Paris Exhibition's silver medal.
 * 1927 – The age of imagination was shown at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-First

His competition attendance included:
 * 1904 – Landseer Scholarships (Royal Academy of Arts) (Won)
 * 1907 – Landseer Scholarships (Royal Academy of Arts) (Won)
 * 1920 – Folkestone Memorial Competition (Folkestone Council), 1920 (Won)
 * 1931–1932 – Memorial for Animals, for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Royal Society of British Sculptors) (Participant, awarded £20)