London Sketch Club

Founded in 1898 by break-away artists of the Langham Sketching Club, its founder members included Dudley Hardy, Phil May, Walter Churcher, Tom Browne and Cecil Aldin. The Club’s first president was George Charles Haité. By 1903 it had established itself in permanent premises in Wells Street, off London's main thoroughfare Oxford Street. In 1904 it held a ground-breaking poster exhibition at the Royal Aquarium which introduced the work of the Beggarstaff Brothers to a wider audience. In 1911 with the Chelsea Arts Club and the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours the three “Societies” jointly held the Three Arts Ball. Early eminent non-artist members included Baden-Powell and Arthur Conan Doyle. In 1957 the club relocated to 7 Dilke Street where it still meets. The Club held a public exhibition in 1976 (the first since 1934) at the Mall Galleries, in conjunction with the Langham Sketch Club.

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