Bolt Court

The foundation of the London College of Printing came about in 1883 via the establishment of the City of London Parochial Charities Act which aimed to offer improved supervision of charitable funds thus benefiting the inhabitants of these London city parishes by the development of learning and work prospects. This Act established the St. Bride Foundation Institute Printing School, which opened at the end of 1894. The same year saw the opening of a Guild and Technical School in Clerkenwell Road aimed at the enhancement of apprentice skills of journeymen engravers and lithographers. Circa1895 the establishment relocated to 6 Bolt Court, a small side street off Fleet Street, where it became known as the Bolt Court Technical School. In 1949, the School amalgamated with Bolt Court Technical School to become the London School of Printing and Graphic Arts. In 1962 it moved to Elephant and Castle as the London School of Printing.I n 1985 it became part of the London Institute, and in 1990 the College of Distributive merged with the LCP to form the London College of Printing and Distributive Trades. In 2004 it was again renamed as the London College of Communication.

The school was subsequently renamed the London County Council School of Photoengraving and Lithography. The establishment has had several guises which include the College for the Distributive Trades, London School of Printing and Graphic Arts and between 1990 and 2001 it was known as the London College of Printing and Distributive Trades. On 1 Jan 1986, the London College of Printing merged along with the Camberwell School of Arts & Crafts, the Central School of Arts & Crafts, Chelsea School of Art, the College for the Distributive Trades, the London College of Fashion and St. Martin's School of Art to form the London Institute. Perhaps the school's most 'unusual' alumnus was comedian Kenneth Williams who attended there from 1940 where he trained as a draughtsman before his army call-up and subsequent comedic fame.