Slade alumna Olga Lehmann (1912-2001) describes the Slade studios & life room, and recalls tips received from Professor Henry Tonks as a student in the early 1930s. An excerpt from an interview conducted by Stephen Chaplin on 3 November 1992.

Olga Lehmann on 1930s studios & teaching

Slade alumna Olga Lehmann (1912-2001) describes studying at the Slade from 1929-1934. An excerpt from an interview conducted by Stephen Chaplin on 3 November 1992.

Olga Lehmann on arriving at the Slade, 1929

Slade alumna Olga Lehmann (1912-2001) on being taught by Slade tutors Henry Tonks, Randolph Schwabe, Franklin White, Allan Gwynne-Jones, George Charlton & James Wilkie, 1929-1935.
An excerpt from an interview conducted by Stephen Chaplin on 3 November 1992.

Olga Lehmann on Slade tutors, 1929-1935

Margaret Bennett was secretary to Slade Professors William Coldstream and later Lawrence Gowing, from 1963-1983. She describes her role as Coldstream’s ‘Confidential Clerk’ and the tasks that made up their workday. This clip is an excerpt from an interview conducted by Stephen Chaplin in the early 1990s.

Margaret Bennett on Coldstream's workday

Margaret Bennett, secretary to Slade Professors William Coldstream and later Lawrence Gowing, describes the unconventional office culture at the Slade. This clip is an excerpt from an interview conducted by Stephen Chaplin in the early 1990s.

Margaret Bennett on Slade office culture, 1963-1983

Margaret Bennett, secretary to Slade Professors William Coldstream and later Lawrence Gowing, on recruiting life models and developing ‘Mrs Bennett’s list’. This clip is an excerpt from an interview conducted by Stephen Chaplin in the early 1990s.

Margaret Bennett on recruiting life models, 1963-1983

Artist and former Slade tutor David Leverett on being asked to join the Slade printmaking department by William Townsend and Bartolomeu dos Santos in the early 1970s. This is an excerpt from an interview conducted by Stephen Chaplin in 1994, digitised in 2013 as part of the Slade Archive Project.

David Leverett on joining the Slade printmaking department

David Leverett describes the redevelopment of the Slade’s printmaking department in the early 1970s. Previous to his arrival, the department focused primarily on etching and had been operating according to a traditional atelier system under the leadership of Anthony (Tony) Gross. This is an excerpt from an interview conducted by Stephen Chaplin in 1994, digitised in 2013 as part of the Slade Archive Project.

David Leverett on redeveloping printmaking at the Slade

Anecdote about initial impressions and admission interview at Slade with William ‘Willy’ Townsend and William ‘Bill’ Coldstream, 1952. This excerpt was drawn from an oral history interview conducted by Liz Bruchet in February 2013.

Stephen Chaplin (b. 1934) enrolled as a student at the Slade at age 18 where he studied drawing and painting from 1952-1955. After taking early retirement from a career teaching art and art history at Leeds University in the early 1990s, Chaplin was invited to ‘sort out’ the Slade archive by former Slade Tutor Jean Spencer, and was the Slade’s part-time archivist from 1990-97.

Stephen Chaplin on his entrance interview at the Slade, 1952

Describes attitudes and advice given by Slade tutors (including Andrew Forge, Allen Gwynn Jones, Tom Monnington, William Townsend and William Coldstream) in relation to the so-called ‘Euston Road’ drawing tradition. This excerpt was drawn from an oral history interview conducted by Liz Bruchet in February 2013.

Stephen Chaplin (b. 1934) enrolled as a student at the Slade at age 18 where he studied drawing and painting from 1952-1955. After taking early retirement from a career teaching art and art history at Leeds University in the early 1990s, Chaplin was invited to ‘sort out’ the Slade archive by former Slade Tutor Jean Spencer, and became the Slade’s part-time archivist from 1990-97. These excerpts were drawn from an oral history interview conducted by Liz Bruchet in February and July 2013.

Stephen Chaplin on Euston Road School orthodoxy

Anecdote about encountering Bernard Cohen painting at the Slade as a student in the early 1950s. This excerpt was drawn from an oral history interview conducted by Liz Bruchet in February 2013.

Stephen Chaplin (b. 1934) enrolled as a student at the Slade at age 18 where he studied drawing and painting from 1952-1955. After taking early retirement from a career teaching art and art history at Leeds University in the early 1990s, Chaplin was invited to ‘sort out’ the Slade archive by former Slade Tutor Jean Spencer, and became the Slade’s part-time archivist from 1990-97. These excerpts were drawn from an oral history interview conducted by Liz Bruchet in February and July 2013.

Stephen Chaplin on Bernard Cohen painting at the Slade, early 1950s

Anecdote about student’s cabaret performance featuring Ernst Gombrich and recollections about art history teaching by Gombrich, Rudolf Wittkower and Michael Kitson. This excerpt was drawn from an oral history interview conducted by Liz Bruchet in February 2013.

Stephen Chaplin (b. 1934) enrolled as a student at the Slade at age 18 where he studied drawing and painting from 1952-1955. After taking early retirement from a career teaching art and art history at Leeds University in the early 1990s, Chaplin was invited to ‘sort out’ the Slade archive by former Slade Tutor Jean Spencer, and was the Slade’s part-time archivist from 1990-97. 

Stephen Chaplin on art history at the Slade

On first meeting Lawrence Gowing and later becoming Gowing’s assistant at Chelsea College of Art & Design. This excerpt was drawn from an oral history interview conducted by Liz Bruchet in July 2013.

Stephen Chaplin (b. 1934) enrolled as a student at the Slade at age 18 where he studied drawing and painting from 1952-1955. After taking early retirement from a career teaching art and art history at Leeds University in the early 1990s, Chaplin was invited to ‘sort out’ the Slade archive by former Slade Tutor Jean Spencer, and became the Slade’s part-time archivist from 1990-97.

Stephen Chaplin on Lawrence Gowing

Recollections of organizing the ‘Slade Archive’ on returning to the Slade in the early 1990s at the invitation of Jean Spencer, and establishing contact with former Slade staff members Malcolm Hughes, Ian Jenkins. This excerpt was drawn from an oral history interview conducted by Liz Bruchet in July 2013.

Stephen Chaplin (b. 1934) enrolled as a student at the Slade at age 18 where he studied drawing and painting from 1952-1955. After taking early retirement from a career teaching art and art history at Leeds University in the early 1990s, Chaplin was invited to ‘sort out’ the Slade archive by former Slade Tutor Jean Spencer, and became the Slade’s part-time archivist from 1990-97.

Stephen Chaplin on arranging the Slade archive

Reflections on the Slade’s 'Summer Composition’ competition and prizes.

Stephen Chaplin (b. 1934) enrolled as a student at the Slade at age 18 where he studied drawing and painting from 1952-1955. After taking early retirement from a career teaching art and art history at Leeds University in the early 1990s, Chaplin was invited to ‘sort out’ the Slade archive by former Slade Tutor Jean Spencer, and was the Slade’s part-time archivist from 1990-97. These excerpts were drawn from an oral history interview conducted by Liz Bruchet in February and July 2013.

Stephen Chaplin on Slade School prizes

Printmaker Stanley Jones describes how, on missing a place in the life drawing room as a young student, he first discovered the Slade’s lithography department where he encountered an appetite for experimentation. 

Stanley Jones on discovering printmaking

Printmaker Stanley Jones on the techniques and style that characterised the Euston Road School and its impact on teaching at the Slade, comparing approaches of Ceri Richards Lynton Lamb and Frank Ormrod.

Stanley Jones on Slade printmaking tutors

In conversation with former Slade archivist Stephen Chaplin, Stanley Jones comments the diversity of practice at the Slade under the leadership of Professor William Coldstream (Slade Professor 1949-1975).

Stanley Jones on the Slade's culture of experimentation

Printmaker and Slade alumni and former tutor Stanley Jones on the origins of the influential printmaking studios, Curwen Studio with Robert Erskine in 1957. 

Stanley Jones on origins of Curwin Studio

The Slade Archive Project is a collaboration between the Slade School of Fine Art and UCL Centre for Digital Humanities centred on exploring and developing the rich archive of the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London. 
This project has been funded by a UCL Arts & Humanities Small Research Grant, a UCL Grand Challenges (Small) Grant, with additional funding for the digitisation of these recordings generously provided by The Andor Charitable Trust.

Slade Archive Project

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