St. John's Wood School of Art

The School which was located on Elm Tree Road in St. John's Wood and founded in 1878 by Peruvian-born painter Abelardo Alvarez Calderon. Entry to the school was initially restricted to students training for entry into the Royal Academy Schools. As a result between 1880 and 1903 over 300 of its students succeeded in gaining admission to the Academy Schools. Subsequently, its scope was widened to include any art students, male or female, who wished to receive training in painting, composition, anatomy, perspective, mural painting and commercial art. There were no restrictions on the study courses that students could follow and, in addition to the indoor studios, outdoor classes were provided within its courtyard area. In the 1930’s the School's association with the RA was strengthened when the President of the RA, Sir William Llewellyn, became its Patron. Past principals of the school included Charles Quiller Orchardson, Frederick Walenn, P. F. Millard and Ernest Perry, while among its former alumni were Lewis Baumer, Michael Ayrton, Marjorie Mostyn, Rex Vicat Cole, Ethelbert White, Sylvia Gosse and John Minton. In 1945 the school became the Anglo-French Art Centre which closed in 1951, due to financial troubles.