Plaster Cast of the Design for the John Cobb Memorial

On the 29th September 1952, a crowd gathered to watch racing driver John Cobb attempt to break the world speed record, this time on water. Cobb already held the world record for the fastest speed on land three times. 

Among the crowd was artist George Bain, sketching at the edge of Loch Ness. Bain was there when Cobb’s specially designed craft, the Crusader, hit a ripple, resulting in the fatal accident for Cobb.   

Bain was invited to design the plaque to go on the memorial cairn in Cobb’s memory. It is in his usual Celtic Revival style, though more muted than many of his designs to reflect the sombre occasion and the needs of a wider audience who would seek comfort whilst visiting the cairn.