Goldsmiths' College

Abstract

GOLDSMITHS' College, which was severely damaged during a recent air raid, has an interesting history. The oldest part of the building represents what is left of the Royal Naval School, founded in 1833 as a public school to enable the less affluent naval officer to give his sons a sound education at the least possible expense. Nearly sixty years later the Goldsmiths' Company took over the premises, and established its Technical and Recreative Institute, providing, besides numerous technical classes, science and art departments which gained a high reputation. The latter attracted distinguished artists as teachers, whilst in the science department the late Sir William Pope, the late Prof. G. Barger of Edinburgh, and Prof. A. Lap worth of Manchester, were among those who gained their earlier experience in teaching. At the end of a period of thirteen years, the Act of 1902 having meantime thrown the responsibility for providing technical education upon the London County Council, the Company closed the Institute, and handed over the premises and site to the University of London on liberal terms. The University retained the Art and Science and Engineering Departments, and, with the co-operation of several county authorities, established a large Training Department.