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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

The Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

Lord Florey

c. 1966
Louis Kahan AO

fibre-tipped pen on paper (sheet: 51.6 cm x 34.8 cm)

Howard Florey, Baron Florey of Adelaide and Marston OM (1898–1968) was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine in 1945 for the discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various infectious diseases. Born into a wealthy family in Adelaide, Florey was a top athlete and gained a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford, where he studied under Sir Charles Sherrington. Appointed to the chair of pathology at Oxford in 1935, he began researching the properties of Pencillium notatum, a fungus the antibacterial qualities of which had been discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1920. By 1941 Florey was successfully undertaking clinical trials of penicillin. He harried US pharmaceutical firms to manufacture the drug, and it saved thousands of lives during World War 2. For this work he was awarded the Nobel Prize jointly with Fleming (although they never worked together). In 1960, he was made the first Australian President of London’s Royal Society. Florey was instrumental in the establishment of both the John Curtin School of Medical Research and the ANU, of which he was Chancellor from 1965 to 1967.

Florey was knighted in 1944. In 1965, he was not only appointed to the Order of Merit but made a life peer. He chose the title Baron Florey, of Adelaide in the State of South Australia and Commonwealth of Australia and of Marston in the County of Oxford.

Purchased 1998
© Louis Kahan/Copyright Agency, 2024

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Louis Kahan AO (age 61 in 1966)

Howard Florey Baron Florey of Adelaide and Marston, OM KBE FRS (age 68 in 1966)

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency