Articles - 23 June 2007
Frank Fenner tapestry
In 2005 three tapestries were commissioned to celebrate Nobel Prizes associated with the Australian National University, and presented as a gift from the Vice-Chancellor, Ian Chubb, on behalf of The Australian National University to University House for the Jubilee Year.
These were;
- Peter C. Doherty and Rolf M. Zinkernagel for discoveries concerning the specificity of the cell mediated immune defence.
- Howard Walter Florey for discoveries concerning isolation and therapeutic application of penicillin
- Sir John Carew Eccles for discoveries concerning the ionic mechanisms involved in excitation and inhibition in the peripheral and central portions of the nerve cell membrane.
A fourth tapestry was funded by a private sponsor and presented to University House at The Australian National University in Canberra in 2007.
Professor Frank Fenner’s outstanding career in Science has been marked by two achievements of considerable magnitude, namely the eradication of Smallpox and control of the rabbit plague in Australia.
It was designed and woven during 2006 by Valerie Kirk, assisted by Joy Smith. The finished work measures 1.2m x 2.4m, and it is produced in wool on a cotton seine twine warp. The image is developed from sectional views of skin lesions and an electron micrograph of variola virus isolated from a specimen from the last known case of smallpox in the world.
Valerie Kirk is the Head of Textiles, School of Art, Australian National University
Frank Fenner and Victoria Gill cutting the Frank Fenner tapestry from the loom
Related articles
- 27 February 2006 Florey tapestry unvieled by Valerie Kirk
- 27 October 2005 The Nobel prize tapestries by Valerie Kirk
- 26 October 2005 Jubilee tapestries unveiled by Valerie Kirk
- 22 June 2005 Nobel tapestries commissioned by David Salt
