The London Group was formed by an amalgamation of the Camden Town group and the English Vorticists in 1913. This grouping of radical young artists came together as a reaction to the power which the Royal Academy enjoyed, controlling what kind of art was shown to the public. Founder members included Wyndham Lewis, Sickert and Gaudier-Breszka. The London Group decided on a written constitution and a number of Officers to run the group's affairs. Members were to be elected to the group based on a democratic election. A Working Party was set up to organize London Group exhibitions which were to revitalize contemporary visual art, bringing in new European developments in painting and sculpture, especially from France. Artists exhibited their own choice of work, the London Group made no judgmental decisions on members' work, a tradition proudly defended to this day.
The beginning of the First World War and the early death of the first President were inauspicious moments for the new group, yet it survived and, in the Twenties, developed into a progressive and critically acclaimed group of contemporary artists. Roger Fry and his 'set' were extremely influential at this time.
The Thirties saw a greater diversity of activity. There was a 'healthy' exchange between the more objective Cezanne salon and the Surrealists, for example. Again the Group survived another World War, managing to mount exhibitions throughout the early Forties.
As Europe healed it's wounds the London Group was to enter into a golden period in the 1950's and early 60's. There were regular venues to hold annual exhibitions, large enough to offer space for every member to show more than one work and to invite non-members to open submission. The highlight of this period was the London Group Jubilee Exhibition held at the Tate Gallery in 1964.
In the 1970s the London Group became the major vehicle for young artists emerging from art school in the way the Young Contempories was for art students. It held major open exhibitions across London including the Gulbenkian Galleries, The South London Art Gallery and the Camden Art Centre. The nature of contemporary visual art began to change and diversify and this change was reflected in the membership and exhibition strategies of the group. The last large 'open show' was launched by Lord Gowerie, the then Minister of Arts and was the 80th Anniversary Exhibition held at the Concourse Gallery, Barbican, in 1993. The 90th Anniversary Exhibition in Cork Street saw the launch of the London Group website and a commemorative book published in 2003.
At present the London Group has more members than at any point in it's history and continues to function without style or dogma being the only democratically run group which survives to the 21st century.
Presidents since 1913
Harold Gilman
(Founder Member 1913)
1914 - 1918
Bernard Adeney
(Founder Member 1913)
1921 - 1923
Frank Dobson
(1922)
1924 - 1926
Rupert Lee
(1922)
1926 - 1936
Elliott Seabrooke
(1920)
1936 - 1937
Harold Sandys Williamson
(1933)
1937 - 1943 (Chairman)
Ruskin Spear
(1940 - 1943)
1949 - 1952
Claude Rogers
(1938)
1952 - 1965
Andrew Forge
(1960)
1966 - 1971
Dorothy Mead
(1960)
1971 - 1973
Neville Boden
(1965)
1973 - 1977
Peter Donnelly
(1973)
1977 - 1978
Dennis Creffield
(1962)
1979 - 1983
Stan Smith
(1975)
1984 - 1992
Adrian Bartlett
(1981)
1992 - 1994
Philippa Beale
(1977)
1994 - 1998
Matthew Kolakowski
(1990)
1998 - 2000
Peter Clossick
(1999)
2000 - 2005
Philip Crozier
(2001)
2005 - 2007
Susan Haire
(2004)
2007 - current
October 25th 1913
Walter Bayes
Robert Bevan
Malcolm Drummond
Jacob Epstein
Frederick Etchells
Harold Gilman
Charles Ginner
Spencer F. Gore
Anna Hope Hudson
Wyndham Lewis
J.B. Manson
C.R.W. Nevinson
W. Ratcliffe
Ethel Sands
W.R. Sickert
Harold Sund
Douglas Fox-Pitt
Duncan Grant
Henry Lamb and
Lucien Pissarro
were also listed as founder
members but did not exhibit.
November 1913
Bernard Adeney
Renee Finch
C.F. Hamilton
Harold Squire
Edward Wadsworth
1914
Adrian Allinson
David Bomberg
Horace Brodsky
Henri Gaudier Brzeska
Benjamin Coria
Mary Godwin
Sylvia Gosse
James Hamilton Hay
Stanislawa de Karlowska (Mrs R. Bevan)
Jacob Kramer
Jessie Etchells
Douglas Fox Pitt
Therese Lessore
John Nash
Paul Nash
William Roberts
Stanley Spencer
Walter Taylor
1915
Mark Gertler
Randolph Schwabe
1916
Phyllis Barron
E. McKnight Kauffer
Ethelbert White
Adrian Allinson
1917
Roger Fry
Nina Hamnett
1919
Boris Anrep
Keith Baynes
Vanessa Bell
Bernard Meninsky
1920
Ruth Doggett
Frederick J. Porter
Elliott Seabrooke
Matthew Smith
Cicely Stock
E.M. O’R. Dickey
1921
Richard Carline
1922
George Barne
Sidney Carline
Frank Dobson
Rupert Lee
Lydia Pearson-Righetti
S. Popovitch
Paule Vezelay
(Majorie W. Williams)
1923
Mario Bacchelli
R. O’Connor
Guy Maynard
J.W. Power
Edward Wolfe
1924
K.M. Morrison
Alfred Thornton
1925
Rene Paresee
Wyndam Tryon
Allan Walton
1926
Jessica Dismorr
Chantal Quenneville
1927
Elizabeth Andrews
John Banting
Vera Cunningham
Alan Durst
1928
John Farleigh
Cicely Hey
Cedric Morris
Elizabeth Muntz
1929
H.E. Du Plessis
R.V. Pitchforth
Maresco Pearce
Arthur Pollen
1930
Noel Adeney
Barbara Hepworth
Maurice Lambert
Edna Manley
Henry Moore (never paid his subs)
Hyam Myer
John Skeaping
1931
Raymond Coxon (Hon.)
R.O. Dunlop
Elsie Farleigh
Ivon Hitchens
1932
R.P. Bedford
David Low (Hon.)
Morland Lewis
1933
Eileen Agar
Phyllis Bray
William Coldstream
P.N. Dawson
Edna Ginesi (Hon.)
Blair Hughes Stanton
Rodrigo Moynihan
John Piper
H.S. Williamson
1934
Hans Feibusch
James Fitton
Victor Pasmore
John Tunnard
1935
Gertrude Hermes
1936
Ethel Walker
1937
Robert Medley
Graham Sutherland
1938
Ceri Richards
Claude Rogers
1940 - 43
Edward Le Bas
J. Buckland Wright
Kathleen Faussett-Osborne
Elsie Few
Henry Gotlieb
Lawrence Gowing
Frances Hodgkins
Augustus John (Hon.)
Oscar Kokoschka (Hon.)
Lynton Lamb
Mary Potter
Ruskin Spear
Fred Uhlman
Jack B. Yeats
1944
Geoffrey Tibble
1947
John Dodgson
1948
Anthony Gross
Karin Jonzen
Kit Lewis
L.S. Lowry
1949
Robert Adams
Edward Ardizzone
Robert Buhler
Edward Burra
Morris Kestelman
Kenneth Martin
John Minton
F.E. McWilliam
Peter Potworowski
William Scott
Julian Trevelyan
Keith Vaughan
Carel Weight
1951
Bernard Meadows
Anne Neville
Brian Robb
William Townsend
1952
Eleanor Bellingham-Smith
Lynn Chadwick
Patrick Heron
1953
Kenneth Armitage
Merlyn Evans
William Gear
Stanley Hayter
Josef Herman
1954
Roy de Maistre
Martin Froy
1955
Louise Ie Brocquy
Anthony Fry
William Turnbull
Bryan Wynter
1956
Robert Clatworthy
Elizabeth Frink
Philip Sutton
1957
Norman Adams
John Bratby
Alan Davie
Terry Frost
Patrick George
Leonard Rosoman
Jack Smith
1958
Wendy Pasmore
Euan Uglow
1959
Mary Fedden
Anthony Hatwell
Mary Martin
1960
Frank Auerbach
Andrew Forge
Dorothy Mead
1961
Andre Bicat (Hon.)
Jeffrey Camp
Anthony Eyton
Cliff Holden
Leslie Marr
1962
Craigie Aitchison
Michael Andrews
Dennis Creffield
Paul de Monchaux
Adrian Heath
Brian Wall
1963
Frank Bowling
Michael Elliot
David Hockney
Leon Kossoff
Evert Lundquist
1964
Anthony Green
Kenneth Turner
1965
Neville Boden
Geoffrey Harris
Albert Irvin
David Partridge
Edwin Pickett
Paula Rego
Matt Rugg
Michael Sandle
Bernard Schottlander
Rachel Tripp
1968
Basil Beattie
Brian Fielding
Michael Kenny
Stephen Lobb
Barry Martin
Stass Paraskos
Arthur Wilson
1971
Anne Buchanan
Julian Cooper
Peter Cresswell
Michael Harrison
Laetitia Yhap
1973
Peter Archer
John Bellany
Peter Donnelly
John Hoskin
Caroline Jackson
Colin Nicholas
Livia Rolandini
Peter Startup
Jesse Watkins
1975
David Haughton
Richard Og
Stan Smith
John Watson
Mary Webb
1977
Martin (Moich) Abrahams
Philippa Beale
Peter de Francia
Stanislaw Frenkiel
Robert Mason
Keith Reeves
1978
Ray Atkins
John Barnicoat
Robert Clarke
Tom Cross
John Crossley
David Gluck
Anthony Whishaw
1979
Cyril Reason
1980
Sheila Watkins (Hon.)
1981
Martin Ball
Evelyn Ballantine
Adrian Bartlett
Lindsay Davidson
Ken Draper
John Epstein
Keith Grant
Mel Gordon
Jane Humphrey (Hon.)
Michael Heindorff
Gillian Ingham
Jane Joseph
Roger Kite
Robin Klassnik
Victor Kuell (Hon.)
William Mills
Mike Pope
Peter Richmond
John Roberts
Elma Thubron
Harry Thubron
S. Torrents
1984
Victoria Bartlett
Gus Cummins
Joe McGill
Janet Nathan
Janet Patterson
Suzan Swale
Mike Thorpe
Christopher Twyford
1987
Clive Burton
Harvey Daniels
Brian Kneale
Chris Plowman
1988
John Copnall
Jean Gibson
Tricia Gillman
1989
David Carr
John Edwards
Alex Ramsey
1990
David Annesley
Sharon Aivaliotis
Ines Buhler
Hugh Davies
John Dougill
Alfred Harris
William Henderson
lan Hunter
Matthew Kolakowski
Prudence Kurrle
Eric Moody
Peter Morrell
Ken Oliver
Robert Russell
David Shutt
Kevin Slingsby
Keir Smith
Philippa Stjernsward
Mark Vaux
David Whitaker
Gary Wragg
1994
Michelle Avison
Bryan Benge
Oona Grimes
Colin Kerrigan
1996
Steven Foy
Trevor Frankland
Jules De Goede
Sophie Horton
Bryan McCann
Hideo Nakane
Eugene Palmer
1997
Slawomir Blatton
Pauline Little
Mark Povell
Susan Wilson
1998
lan Parker
Wendy Anderson
Kate Montgomery
Georgina Hunt
Tony Collinge
1999
Neil Weerdmeester
Peter Clossick
2000
Annie Johns
Colette De Morand
David Redfern
David Tebbs
James Faure Walker
Bill Watson
2001
Philippa Tunstill
Philip Crozier
Mark Dunford
Graham Mileson
Tom Scase
Wendy Smith
Kathleen Mullaniff
Peter Matthews
2002
Michael Phillipson
Anne Cloudsley
Frank Bowling
Julie Held
Mark Dickens
Anthony Daley
Lucy Jones
Tony Carter
John Holden
2004
Mark Ainsworth
Jeff Dellow
Tricia Gillman
Susan Haire
Marcelle Hanselaar
Richard Kemp
Peter Lowe
Wendy Taylor
2005
Susan Skingle
2006
Daniel Preece
Simon Read
Tommy Seaward
2007
David Chalkley
Angela Eames
Philippa Beale
2008
Amanda Loomes
Chris Poulton
Victoria Rance
Paul Tecklenberg
2009
Paul and Laura Carey
Sam Jarman
Valerie Jolly
Honorary Members
Robert Coward (Accountant)
Charles & Michelle Hoffner
Kate Losty (Secretary)
