In 1910 when the artists John Byam Shaw and Rex Vicat Cole opened the doors of Campden Hill studios to their first twenty or so students, they probably gave little thought to the long-term future. That the School they founded was to decamp from Kensington to Archway would have been unimaginable; neither could they have foreseen Byam Shaw becoming part of Central Saint Martins. However, it is fair to suppose that if they were to return to the School today the founders would be delighted to witness how it has flourished – there are now around 400 students – and gratified to see Byam Shaw being part of University of the Arts London, a coalition of famous London art colleges that, as well as Central Saint Martins, includes Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon.

This centenary is a moment to celebrate Byam Shaw’s buoyancy, resilience and achievements. More importantly it is a time to look ahead. Byam Shaw starts the next chapter in its history as a partner with Central Saint Martins, at a moment when this renowned College is itself making momentous change in relocating to King’s Cross. The partnership promises an expansive future, carrying forward Byam Shaw’s core values into new Fine Art programmes to operate across the King’s Cross and Archway sites. The campuses will be complementary in many respects: King’s Cross finely tuned to new technologies, Archway continuing to provide a robust studio and workshop environment. Imperative, of course, will be to make the most of the proximity of both sites so that the shared assets can be used to the congenial advantage of students and staff alike. The situation has very exciting potential.

Here is Byam Shaw’s history told in pictures. Click one of the titles below to view a gallery of thumbnails.

The early years

1950s to 1960s

1970s to 1990s

2000s

Papers