THE LONDON HOSPITAL AID SOCIETY BADGE

Fig 1
 

The London Hospital Aid Society Badge

Recently a number of London Hospital aid society badges were sold on eBay. There appears to be little information about the history behind the society. It appears like many aid societies to have been formed to help fund raise for a particular hospital. 

"Googling", (the modern research tool) has revealed a little about the owner of one of these badges, Philip Halperin, who appears to have been a local merchant of Russian Jewish descent, who in 1925 owned the Houndsditch warehouse : (127, 128 and Part of 126, Houndsditch, City of London,  along with Isaac Burstein and Philip Abraham Halperin  of No.^s 42/46, Houndsditch, E.G.) ⁽¹⁾

By 1932 he applied to change his name by deedpol,: "notice is hereby given that PHILIP HALPERIN, of 38, Heath Drive, Hampstead, in the county of London, a Director of the Houndsditch Warehouse Company Limited, registered on his birth as Philip Elpirin, but always known and described as Philip Abraham Halperin, has assumed and intends henceforth upon all occasions and at all times to sign and use and to be called and known by the name of Philip Halperin, in lieu of and in substitution for his former names of Philip Elpirin and Philip Abraham Halperin" ⁽²⁾ 

Philip appears to have married a jewess, Eva Bursntein in 1918 ⁽³⁾ with a son Dennis being born in 1923, ⁽⁴⁾  who  appears to have been killed as a civilian war casualty aged only 21 in 1944 ⁽⁵⁾ 

"Dennis Halperin of 38 Heath Drive.  Son of Mr. and Mrs Philip Halperin, of 126 Houndsditch, E.C.3.  Injured 18 February 1944, at 38 Heath Drive; died at New End Hospital." ⁽⁶⁾

Philip Halperin appears to have died in Hove in 1972, with possibly his wife Eva dying 9 years later in Westminster, however I have not yet corroborated this.

However Toyes ⁽¹⁾ have been very helpful, and within 24 hours of my research request, emailed the following sketches of designs for the badge:

As can be seen from these records, the sketch of this badge indicates that only 2 were made ( the archivist at the London had not seen these records before.)

From pictures found  on the internet, Philip Halperin was one of a group of local supporters/fund raisers for the society and funded the extension of the outpatients dept at the LH (about to be pulled down on a recent visit, now  ringed in barbed wire and tall security fencing), so I was unable to replicate the photo for myself.

On eBay this vice presidents medal.. on eBay looked rather gaudy with the .ribbon faded to arrange  but original, would appear to have had red ribbon, more in keeping with the colours of the medal. of the other designs sent to me by Toyes  there are none on display at the LH archives.

Of  the other badge on eBay recently the sketches suggest that it is one of 36 made (the one on eBay had no ribbon or founders bar), costing 21 shillings in 1935! ⁽⁷⁾
 

During my enquiry with Toye, Kenning and Spencer  it was thought that "We must also have made the Steward's jewels, but there is no record on the card of when, how many or how much they cost. There is a feint note in pencil on this card that says that they were a miniature for a watch chain and were a replica of the Founder's jewel." ⁽⁷⁾

References

1. 3352 THE LONDON GAZETTE, 11 MAY, 1928.H.M. LAND REGISTRY, LONDON, W.0.2. LAND REGISTRATION ACT,
    1925

2 .  6214 THE LONDON GAZETTE, 30 SEPTEMBER, 1932. 

3, 4, 5 , 7,8. General Register Office Records 

6. CWGC.

7. Toye , Kenning and Spencer

Illustrations

All sketches from Toye , Kenning and Spencer
 

Sarah Rogers 4/4/2012

SECTION 2
Hospital Photograph Collections.

Nursing and Hospital badges.
Backmanmal. 

Irish Nursing Badges.
Eric Wilkinson.


SECTION 3
Nursing Organizations

Statutory Bodies.
Nursing & Midwifery Council.

Professional/Trade Unions.
Royal College of Nursing.


SECTION 4
Badge Makers.
Thomas Fattorini.
Marple & Bradley
Brooke (Edinburg)
K&S (Edinburgh)
J.Gaunt (London)
D.J.Stewart
(Stirling Scotland)
Bladon (London)
Toye&Co (London)



SECTION 5
Collector links.

Websites
Nursing Badges.

Auction sites.
ebay.co.uk.

dnw.co.uk
Eg.Tip: Select 'search', 'View Forthcoming Auctions' select 'Search or Browse Lots to be Sold' and enter 'hospitals' in the description field.