The Albert Medal of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) was instituted in 1864 as a memorial to Prince Albert, who had been President of the Society for 18 years. It was first awarded in 1864 for "distinguished merit in promoting Arts, Manufactures and Commerce". In presenting the Medal, the Society now looks to acknowledge individuals, organizations and groups that lead progress and create positive change within contemporary society in areas that are linked closely to the Society's broad agenda.
Through the Albert Medal, the Society acknowledges the creativity and innovation of those that work to tackle some of the world's intractable problems. Each year, the RSA identifies issues by asking the Society's Fellowship to suggest problems and subjects linked to the Society's programme. These proposals are reviewed and recommendations made to the Trustees and Council, who are responsible for selecting one upon which the Fellowship will be asked to nominate worthy recipients.
Full list of medalists 1864: Sir Rowland Hill KCB FRS 'for his great services to Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, in the creation of the penny postage, and for his other reforms in the postal system of this country, the benefits of which have, however, not been confined to this country, but have extended over the civilised world' 1865: The Emperor of the French (Napoleon III) 'for distinguished merit in promoting, in many ways, by his personal exertions, the international progress of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, the proofs of which are afforded by his judicious patronage of Art, his enlightened commercial policy, and especially by the abolition of passports in favour of British subjects' 1866: Michael Faraday DCL FRS 'for his discoveries in electricity, magnetism, and chemistry, which in their relation to the industries of the world have so largely promoted Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce' 1867: William Fothergill Cooke and Charles Wheatstone FRS 'in recognition of their joint labours in establishing the first electric telegraphy' 1868: Joseph Whitworth LLD FRS 'for the invention and manufacture of instruments of measurement and uniform standards by which the production of machinery has been brought to a state of perfection hitherto unapproached to the great advancement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce' 1869: Baron Justus von Liebig Associate of the Institute of France ForMembRS Chevalier of the Legion of Honour etc. 'for his numerous valuable researchers and writings, which have contributed most importantly to the development of food economy and agriculture, to the advancement of chemical science, and to the benefits derived from that science by Arts, Manufactures and Commerce' 1870: Ferdinand, Viscount de Lesseps Member of Institute of France HonGCSI 'for services rendered to Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, by the realisation of Suez Canal'. 1871: Henry Cole 'for his important services in promoting Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, especially in aiding the establishment and development of International Exhibitions, the Department of Science and Art, and the South Kensington Museum' 1872: Henry Bessemer FRS 'for the eminent services rendered by him to Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, in developing the manufacture of steel 1873: Michel Eugène Chevreul ForMembRS Member of the Institute of France 'for his chemical researches, especially in reference to saponification, dyeing, agriculture, and natural history, which for more than half a century have exercised a wide influence on the industrial arts of the world' 1874: Carl Wilhelm Siemens DCL FRS 'for his researches in connection with the laws of heat, and the practical applications of them to furnaces used in the Arts; and for his improvements in the manufacture of iron; and generally for the services rendered by him in connection with the economisation of fuel in its various applications to Manufactures and the Arts' 1875: Michel Chevalier 'the distinguished French statesman, who, by his writings and persistent exertions, extending over many years, has rendered essential services in promoting Arts, Manufactures and Commerce' 1876: Sir George Biddell Airy KCB FRS, Astronomer Royal 'for eminent services rendered to Commerce by his researches in nautical astronomy and in magnetism, and by his improvements in the application of the mariner's compass to the navigation of iron ships 1877: Jean-Baptiste Dumas ForMembRS Member of the Institute of France 'the distinguished chemist, whose researchers have excised a very material influence on the advancement of the Industrial Arts' 1878: William Armstrong (later The Lord Armstrong) CB DCL FRS 'because of his distinction as an engineer and as a scientific man, and because by the development of the transmission of power – hydraulically – due to his constant efforts, extending over many years, the manufactures of this country have been greatly aided, and mechanical power beneficially substituted for most laborious and injurious manual labour' 1879: William Thomson (later The Lord Kelvin) OM LLD DCL FRS 'on account of the signal service rendered to Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, by his electrical researches, especially with reference to the transmission of telegraphic messages over ocean cables' 1880: James Prescott Joule LLD DCL FRS 'for having established, after most laborious research, the true relation between heat, electricity and mechanical work, thus affording to the engineer a sure guide in the application of science to industrial pursuits' 1881: August Wilhelm von Hofmann MD LLD FRS, Professor of Chemistry in the University of Berlin 'for eminent services rendered to the Industrial Arts by his investigations in organic chemistry, and for his successful labour in promoting the cultivation of chemical education and research in England' 1882: Louis Pasteur Member of the Institute of France ForMembRS 'for his researches in connection with fermentation, the preservation of wines, and the propagation of zymotic diseases in silkworms and domestic animals, whereby the arts of wine making, silk production and agriculture have been greatly benefited' 1883: Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker KCSI CB MD DCL LLD FRS 'for the eminent services which, as a botanist and scientific traveller, and as Director of the National Botanical Department, he has rendered to the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce by promoting an accurate knowledge of the floras and economic vegetable products of our several colonies and dependencies of the Empire' 1884: Captain James Buchanan Eads 'the distinguished American engineer, whose works have been of such great service in improving the water communications of North America, and have thereby rendered valuable aid to the commerce of the world' 1885: Henry Doulton 'in recognition of the impulse given by him to the production of artistic pottery in this country' 1886: Samuel Lister (later The Lord Masham) 'for the services he has rendered to the textile industries, especially by the substitution of mechanical wool combing for hand combing, and by the introduction and development of a new industry – the utilisation of waste silk' 1887: The Queen (Queen Victoria) 'in commemoration of the progress of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce throughout the Empire during the fifty years of her reign' 1888: Professor Hermann von Helmholtz ForMembRS 'in recognition of the value of his researches in various branches of science and of their practical results upon music, painting and the useful arts' 1889: John Percy LLD FRS 'for his achievements in promoting the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, though the worldwide influence which his researches and writings have had upon the progress of the science and practice of metallurgy' 1890: William Henry Perkin FRS 'for his discovery of the method of obtaining colouring matter from coal tar, a discovery which led to the establishment of a new and important industry, and to the utilisation of large quantities of a previously worthless material' 1891: Sir Frederick Abel Kt KCB DCL DSc FRS 'in recognition of the manner in which he has promoted several important classes of the Arts and Manufactures by the application of Chemical Science, and especially by his researches in the manufacture of iron and of steel, and also in acknowledgement of the great services he has rendered to the State in the provision of improved war material, and as Chemist to the War Department' 1892: Thomas Edison 'in recognition of the merits of his numerous and valuable inventions, especially his improvements in telegraphy, in telephony, and in electric lighting, and for his discovery of a means of reproducing vocal sounds by the phonograph' 1893: Sir John Bennet Lawes Bt FRS and Sir Henry Gilbert PhD FRS 'for their joint services to scientific agriculture, and notably for the researches which, throughout a period of fifty years, have been carried on by them at the Experimental Farm, Rothamsted' 1894: Sir Joseph Lister Bt FRS 'for the discovery and establishment of the antiseptic method of treating wounds and injuries by which not only has the art of surgery been greatly promoted, and human life saved in all parts of the world, but extensive industries have been created for the supply of materials required for carrying the treatment into effect.' 1895: Sir Lowthian Bell Bt FRS 'in recognition of the services he has rendered to Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, by his metallurgical researches and the resulting development of the iron and steel industries' 1896: Professor David Edward Hughes FRS 'in recognition of the services he has rendered to Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, by his numerous inventions in electricity and magnetism, especially the printing telegraph and the microphone' 1897: George James Symons FRS 'for the services he has rendered to the United Kingdom by affording to engineers engaged in the water supply and the sewage of towns, a trustworthy basis for their work, by establishing and carrying on during nearly forty years systematic observations (now at over 3000 stations) of the rainfall of the British Isles, and by recording, tabulating and graphically indicating the results of these observations in the annual volumes published by himself' 1898: Professor Robert Bunsen MD ForMembRS 'in recognition of his numerous and most valuable applications of Chemistry and Physics to the Arts and Manufactures' 1899: Sir William Crookes FRS 'for his extensive and laborious researches in chemistry and in physics, researches which have in many instances developed into useful practical applications in the Arts and Manufactures' 1900: Henry Wilde FRS 'for the discovery and practical demonstration of the indefinite increase of the magnetic and electric forces from quantities indefinitely small, a discovery now used in all dynamo machines; and for its application to the production of the electric search-light, and to the electro-deposition of metals from their solutions' 1901: The King (Edward VII) 'in recognition of the aid rendered by His Majesty to Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, during thirty-eight years' presidency of the Society of Arts, by undertaking the direction of important exhibitions in this country and the executive control of British representation at International Exhibitions abroad, and also by many other services to the cause of British Industry' 1902: Professor Alexander Graham Bell 'for his invention of the Telephone' 1903: Sir Charles Augustus Hartley Kt KCMG 'in recognition of his services, extending over forty-four years, as Engineer to the International Commission of the Danube, which have resulted in the opening up of the navigation of that river to ships of all nations, and of his similar services, extending over twenty years, as British Commissioner on the International Technical Commission of the Suez Canal'