Horace Montford was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England in 1840 and was the son of a farmer. He served an apprenticeship as a stone and wood carver in Manchester and was engaged on the restoration of Manchester Cathedral. From 1865 to 1869 he studied at the Royal Academy Schools in London and was awarded a silver medal for the best model from the antique in 1865. After leaving the RA Schools he remained in London where he worked as a sculptor and woodcarver. In 1881 he was appointed as Curator of the then new Sculpture School at the Royal Academy Schools, a post he held until 1903. He exhibited frequently at the Royal Academy in London from 1869 to 1910. He also exhibited at the Royal Society of British Artists in London; Nottingham Castle Museum, Leeds City Art Gallery; Royal Manchester Institution; Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool; and at Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts.
Montford statue of Charles Darwin which was installed in his birthplace, Shrewsbury, in 1897, is considered to be one of the finest commemorative portrayals of him. He also produced a number of portrait busts of Darwin, and of John Milton and Queen Victoria.
He died in Tooting Bec, Surrey [now London] on 21 October 1919. His address at the time of his death was 4 Lurline Gardens, Battersea, Surrey [now London]. His son, Paul Raphael Montford (1868-1938) was also a sculptor.
Text source: Arts + Architecture Profiles from Art History Research net (AHRnet) https://www.arthistoryresearch.net/
