In his lecture 'Humour in Art' given to the Society in February 1949, H M Bateman had proposed a permanent National Gallery of Humorous Art, in which to display the many original drawings of published comic art, which currently languished in back offices, or in corners of studios, and never seen by the public. \nAs a tentative beginning the Society, at the suggestion of its Chairman of Council, Sir Harry Lindsay KCIE, CBE, organised a temporary exhibition of 162 drawings of the work of more than fifty artists, ranging from Rowlandson and Gillray, to Osbert Lancaster and E H Shepard, Emett and Giles. With the help of Kenneth Bird, the editor of Punch, H M Bateman and Anna Zinkeisen, RDI, the Society was able to arrange an interesting display in the Society's Library (located at this time in what is now the Benjamin Franklin Room), which was open to the public free of charge.\nEncouraged by the steady flow of visitors, by the end of the second week 7,091 people had visited the exhibition, including HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (President, RSA 1952-2011) and The Duchess of Kent. The Council decided to postpone the closing day until Saturday 13 August, and to extend the daily opening hours to 6.30pm on weekdays, including Saturdays and the August Bank Holiday. 14,000 people had passed through the doors by the end of the exhibition, and as there was still a great public interest, the Society was able to arrange for the exhibition to travel round the country from October 1949 to April 1950, showing at Hove, Coventry, Salford, Preston, Liverpool, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Lincoln, Hull and Leicester. It has been estimated that a further 40,000 people saw it in the course of this tour. The exhibition also received press coverage worldwide in newspapers and magazines such as Picture Post, Illustrated London News, The Spectator and two pages in the BBC Arabic News. Coverage also featured in television and cinema newsreels. But in spite of all this interest Bateman's original idea for a National Gallery of Humorous Art never came to life.\n\nRecords include correspondence and papers about arrangements for the exhibition, a catalogue and printed material and photographs
The Society held an exhibition of Indian art in 1962. It was opened by the Indian Prime Minister, Nehru. This series includes photographs of Nehru at the opening.
This is a series of images were collected or purchased to support research work into the archive. They include copies of some prize-winning prints and drawings ( see also PR.AR/103)
The Society administered a series of arts scholarships, particularly music and dance from the 1970s to 1990. These were merged into an arts committee which looked at general arts policy\nRecords comprise administrative correspondence and papers
One of the original subject-based committees set up by the Society from 1754 to judge awards and premiums offered by the Society in the 'Polite. (ie Fine) Arts'\n\nSeries includes minutes of the committee, correspondence about awards and attendance at and structure of committee. Also includes examples of prints, drawings, engravings and other works of art submitted for award between 1758 and 1845. Additional correspondence to the committee is also included within the Guard Book series at PR/GE/110
A joint project of the RSA and the ABO Trust in association with the Esmee Fairbairn Charitable Trust. A study to find out whether the printed programmes produced by orchestras, venues and promoters in the UK could be more effective at engaging and informing audiences. 1994-1998
The records of the Free Society of Artists were deposited with the Society after it ended its own art exhibitions in 1764.\nRecords include minutes of a committee and printed catalogues of exhibitions
The Fourth Plinth project was initiated by RSA past Chairman Prue Leith. The RSA's central aims in this initiative were to: use the plinth to display works of art after the 150 year deadlock; raise the level of debate about the nature of public art today; and inform decisions about the plinth's permanent use. The project was co-ordinated by the RSA.\n\nAll files were appraised and routine correspondence removed.\n\nThe series consists of the administrative records from the initiation of discussions about the empty plinth to the the display of the scupltures: Ecce Homo by Mark Wallinger, Regardless of History by Bill Woodrow and Monument by Rachel Whiteread.
The Society held a number of small art exhibitions at John Adam Street. Some of these were in aid of the formation of a National gallery of British Art
This competition was a partnership between the RSA, Boosey & Hawkes and Classic FM. It arose out of Classic FM's Masterclass series for secondary schools. It was an exercise in linking the creativity of composers with the needs of young players to remedy the fact that few developments in musical style had filtered down to what was available for young orchestras and choirs to perform. The competition was launched nationwide on Classic FM and in other music media in the autumn of 1993 with entries to be in by March 1994. This was a 'one-off' venture.\n\nFiles in this series are the entries for the competition. While most files contain an entry for, composition description, cassette recording of the composition and accompanying correspondence.
The Art for Architecture scheme, managed by the RSA, was a collaborative initiative with the Department of National Heritage. It was established with core funding from the Department of the Environment and restricted only to England initial. In 1992, the scheme was extended to Scottish applicants due to Scottish Office funding and similarly to Welsh applicants in 1993 due to Welsh Office funding. The scheme also had a number of private sponsors. Its objective was to enhance the urban environment by encouraging cross disciplinary approaches to building and landscape projects by appointing and providing funds for artists to work as part of a design team from the earliest stages of a development. Michael Wrotesley, DOE, conceived the idea, which stemmed from RSA Student Design Awards. The scheme has been operating since 1990.\n\nDirectly related to the Scheme was the Jerwood Art for Architecture Award. The Award is a financial reward, sponsored by The Jerwood Foundation, to recognise the project which on completion represents both excellence in artistic quality and design and best practice in collaboration. It was presented to the artist and architect, landscape engineer, who are working together. The Jerwood Award was introduced in 1994.\n\nRecords include administrative correspondence, printed items and publicity material, and photographs.
The Exhibition was held in the galleries of the Royal Academy and was organised jointly by the RSA and the Royal Academy. The objects of the exhibition were to 'impress upon the public the importance of good design in articles of everyday use; to show that British manufacturers, in co-operation with British artists, are capable of producing in all branches of industry, articles which combine artistic form with utility and sound workmanship; to encourage British artists to give to industry the benefit of their talent and training so that the objects with which we are surrounded in our daily lives may have an appearance which is not only attractive but is based on genuinely artistic principles'. The exhibition was held under Royal Patronage and with the active participation of HRH the Prince of Wales as President of the General Committee\n\nRecords comprise photographs and copy photographs of items displayed at the Exhibition
The Society acquired or were presented ith drawings, etchings, engravings and prints which were not produced as a direct result of the Polite Arts premium scheme