To celebrate the accession of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the school commissioned a bust of our foundress, Queen Elizabeth I, the quatercentenary of whose death was commemorated in March 2003. The sculpture was installed in time for the School's Commemoration in Abbey in November 2002. The bronze, by Malcolm Stathers, was placed on a plinth of Portland stone put in place by the Abbey stonemasons under the portico executed, it is now known, to a design of Robert Hooke's (OW) in 1681-2.
Small oval painting based on green-brown colour scheme; head and shoulders in profile; he wears classical drapery. Inscribed on a band round the edge as follows: "Hanc bibliothecam operum ab alumnis scholae suae per saecula conditorum dono dedit Godferidus Georgius Roundell Greene MCMLVI".
Inscription: 'Westminster School Golfing Society Pitamber Cup'. Not loaded. No cover. Handles. Donor: Presented by E.R.B. Graham (OW), president of the Elizabethan Club. Awarded: 1952-1964. Maker's mark obscured.
Inscription: 'Interhouse Senior Fencing Cup presented by E.R.B. Graham O.W. 1946'. Not loaded. No cover. Black plastic plinth. Handles. Donor: E.R.B. Graham, 1946. Awarded: 1946-47-1967-68. Maker's mark obscured.
One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows: '1918-1924 In those days Ashburnham Staircase was regarded as a ‘nine days’ wonder’ and considered so exceedingly precious that we boys were only allowed to use it once every three years - at ‘Commem’. I have memories of walking up it for the first time on Nov 17, 1919 and again that date in 1922. We walked in wonder and awe, but there was such a crush we could hardly appreciate its beauty. Towards the end of my time (presumably after A.T. Willet became Librarian in 192__) regulations were relaxed and the Staircase was more frequently opened. But it then ceased to bear its former ‘inaccessibility’ charm!'
