Group    From 1754 

Royal Society of Arts

Categories: Art, Commerce

Founded by William Shipley as the "Society of Arts" in Rawthmell's Coffee House. They carried on meeting in coffee houses and taverns but as the society grew they needed more space. Shipley rented a house in Craig's Court, SW1 and In February 1755 he rented out two rooms to the society. June 1756 the society moved to a house in Castle Court, Strand. In 1759 they purchased the lease of a warehouse in Denmark Court, north of the Strand and Sir William Chambers altered it to meet their needs.

They then had the building in the Adelphi built by the Adam brothers for their use, 18 John Street, now 8 John Adam Street.

In 1908 the society was granted permission to add "Royal" to the name.

Information from Soane Museum and ODNB.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Royal Society of Arts

Commemorated ati

William Shipley

This plaque commemorates the tercentenary of Shipley's birth and the site of ...

Read More

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
Royal Society of Arts

Creations i

Dickens plaque - EC1

But he did not live in the building here today, he lived in Furnival's Inn.

Read More

Fanny Burney

Erected in 1885 this is the oldest surviving "blue" plaque to a woman.

Read More

George Cruikshank

George Cruikshank, artist, lived here, from 1850 to 1878. B: Sept.27th 1792....

Read More

Harry Vane

Sir Harry Vane, statesman, lived here. Born 1612. Beheaded 1662. {Almost hid...

Read More

House of Royal Soc. for Encouragement of Arts etc

The House of Royal Soc. for Encouragement of Arts Manufactures and Commerce. ...

Read More

Other Subjects

David Jones

David Jones

Painter and poet. Born Walter David Michael Jones.As a painter he worked chiefly in watercolour, painting portraits and animal, landscape, legendary and religious subjects. He was also a wood-engra...

Person, Art, Poetry

1 memorial
William Richard Lethaby

William Richard Lethaby

Born Barnstaple, Devon. Architect, in the arts and crafts style, and writer on archaeology and medieval art. First Principle of the Central School of Arts & Crafts.  The Lethaby gallery at the ...

Person, Architecture, Art, History

3 memorials
F. Cayley Robinson

F. Cayley Robinson

Frederick Arthur Cayley Robinson.  Painter and book illustrator.  Born Brentford, Middlesex. In 1914 moved with his wife and daughter into 1 Lansdowne House.  That same year he began 10 years as a...

Person, Art

1 memorial
Khalil Gibran

Khalil Gibran

Lebanese American artist, poet, and writer. Born in what is now Lebanon, emigrated as a young man with his family to US. Best known for The Prophet, 1923, popular in the 60s.

Person, Art, Literature, Poetry, Lebanon, USA

1 memorial
Jonathan Waights

Jonathan Waights

Ceramics artist. From our Picture source website: "Art on Tiles, the hand painted tile company was founded in the 1980s by Jonathan Waights, a British ceramic artist who – as a teenager – was appre...

Person, Art, Portugal

1 memorial