I thought it might be interesting to record a few observations and random recollections of life as a student at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts 1946 - 1952. It's a long time ago so I would welcome any comments or corrections from fellow students. Also feel free to email your experience to me and I will include it. For more scholarly information about this period there is an excellent book by Geoff Hassell entitled Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts: it's Students and Teachers, 1943 - 1960.
When I returned to London from evacuation to Devon during the war I entered Paradise Street School in Bermondsey. It was rough school, lots of fights and a terrible culture shock after Devon.A statement went to the school offering pupils the chance to train in a wide variety of crafts at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts and my mother put me forward. We sent to Devon where the headmaster Mr Webbey had fortunately saved all art work stretching back 5 years. At age 13 I applied with my portfolio, was interviewed by the Principle William Johnston. My mother who brought me to the interview was very impressed by the Principle though it may have been because she thought he looked just like James Cagney! Thank goodness I was offered a place as a junior pupil and my new life began.
In the first year Junior Department we covered Sculpture, Perspective, Fine Art, Woodwork, Printing; Lithography / Linocuts etc, General Studies; Maths, English, Geography, Geometry, Physical Education. Over time and through our works we studied so much more, for example, anatomy, architecture and the classics.
One of the first teachers I had was Keith Vaughan who (fluent in German) had just come out of the army. He taught one day a week in the Juniors. I remember that he took us to Dulwich Park sketching and I chatted to him in between sketching and he was most encouraging. I remember it as being one of the first times I felt treated as an adult and not talked down to and it felt like I was in the right place. He liked to work from literature and we would read books like Treasure Island, Ulysses and the classics and illustrate them. It was a way of both broadening our minds and stretching our imaginations. He recommended books for us to read and I remember getting Tom Sawyer from the library at his suggestion. He was a very good teacher, very calm, never lost his temper, easy going but extremely helpful. At that time he was just becoming recognised as a very promising post war young artist.
Susan was the most helpful and the most influential in my art career. From being her youngest student we remained friends into old age until she passed away. She taught me up to the age of 17 and when it came to my choices, took the trouble to visit my home and reassure my parents that I was talented enough to carry on with Fine Art as opposed to a more trade based route like printing. She was an excellent teacher who taught so much alongside illustration, composition and planning. She had a very lively personality and was friendly with most contemporary artists and often took me to exhibitions, included me in her social gatherings and made me feel this world so different to my home life was a world I could be part of.
I was extremely lucky to be taught by John Minton for a brief while before he left to join the Royal College. I remember him as being one of the kindest and most generous people I have ever met. He was very popular with students as being a very detailed and informative teacher but he also seemed to understand if you didn't have much and gave his possessions away freely. I remember that he gave me a cricket jumper that I wore till it fell to pieces! Though we didn't have him for long I kept in touch and often accompanied Susan Einzig to the studio that he shared with Keith Vaughan. In 1951 he painted a large mural for The Festival of Britain and sent us free tickets. Susan Einzig and me visited him there, it was a memorable day! It was so very sad and a great loss that he died so young and unhappy.
After John Minton left Camberwell to teach at Central and then the Slade his place was filled by an exciting and energetic newcomer called Martin Bloch. I have written a separate post about Martin here; Terry Scales: Martin Bloch so will just add that his extensive knowledge of modern art was inspirational and far more exciting to me than the stick in the mud Euston Road painters!
William Coldstream was one of the top 'Euston Road School' artists who believed in painting directly from life. It gave a good basis for a disciplined understanding of painting what you see, observing / drawing nature. Although I was more on the neo-romantic side despite what I said above I greatly respected him. He was a very kindly man who had a wry sense of humour but was never seen to laugh as such but smile in a knowing way! He taught me in my second year and encouraged a number of pupils to enter the Prisons Decorations Scheme. This was a scheme set up by the Government to brighten up prisons and offer some hope with murals. One of my works (2 boys by a water tank) was chosen and painted up on a 3 x 3 size canvas that was then taken to a prison. When William Coldstrean left for the Slade it was a big loss for Camberwell.
Mrs Burn (Dorothy Sharwood Smith)
Mrs Burn taught us sculpture. She was extremely hard working. We would work from live models making a plaster cast in 2 halves and filling it with concrete etc. The garden of of our bungalow became full of white heads looming out in the moonlight and which my mother was none too keen on! It is because of Mrs Burn that I still know all the bones and muscles in the body today as she used to draw them on the model with red chalk! A lesson that has been useful throughout life in many ways. Mrs Burn wanted me to go on and become a sculptor but an eminent visiting sculptor Karel Vogel said to her 'Terry Scales is a painter not a sculptor!'. I wonder if she has any sculptures surviving?
Michael was an outsider, his own man who belonged to no faction but a strong individual. He encouraged drawing from nature and had a residence in the delightful village of Bucklebury, Berkshire. one summer he invited 3 of us students (myself, John Beadle, Euan Uglow) to spend the summer in the village hall he rented. I spent every evening arguing with Euan over the direction that art should be going. I was a great believer in the neo-romantic tradition and Euan was a strong supporter of the Euston Road School.
'I loved your tale of your interview as mine was somewhat
similar.
I returned to Camberwell, where I was born, from Surrey. I was at Albany Road School for Girls and heard swearwords I had never heard before. Culture Shock.
Miss Brunston, the headmistress, told me of the scheme where
I might apply for a technical or Trade further educational place and she
suggested that Tooting Bec Secretarial College might suit me.
I didn't like the sound of that and looking down the list I
saw Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts. That sounded more like it!
The Headmistress allowed me to have art lessons for a whole week, in which I assembled a portfolio. My mother worked full-time and so my grandfather, an ex-rag & bone man, accompanied me to the interview, with Mr Halliwell, who had a pencil-moustache that made him look like Hitler, He said that I could join the school but warned me that I'd never make any money doing Art. Being all of thirteen years old, I told him that that didn't matter. I was accepted.
What good luck. What a blessing. How fortunate to have
failed the 11+. Brilliant.
I have only now looked up AE Halliwell and found his work on VAD. Versatile and witty.
Perhaps I'm wrong, but I thought that we had General Education on a Monday, but what a laugh. English, History, Geography, Maths, Science(?) Etc. etc.. All in one day, taught by Mr Self.
To add to Susan Einzig, Illustration in that tiny Room 5, where John Minton would join her, with a couple of his friends and they would be larking around and laughing. And later at the Christmas Dance, jiving together.. This was school! But when I consult my French country cooking by Elizabeth David there are his beautiful drawings, so very lovely. And as you say, so sad that he died so young.
Victor Pasmore brought in two large reproductions and asked us to choose which one we preferred. Bruegel's Hunters in the Snow or Cezanne's La Route en Provencal. Of course we were too naïve to understand Cezanne at that time. But what an introduction.
I chose to do lithography for my craft and had Lesley Cackett as tutor. It was held in the Bookbinding room, and we were given those marvellous stones to draw on.
How exciting to find your blog Terry you were one of my teachers (1964) in my first year, also Euan Uglow and I think maybe John Minton. It’s interesting to read about the generation before my group and I own two Keith Vaughan drawings without knowing that he was at Camberwell. I went on to do the Graphic design course having failed to get into the painting school, I remember you took us to paint at Camberwell Green a picture and detailed pencil drawing I still have. I paint all the time now since retiring from teaching in Greenwich schools. Best wishes Carol Thunstrom /Hayward
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