Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1961-ongoing (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
c50,000 images
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Student activity at the Royal College of Art is reflected in the development of projects within individual departments, culminating in the exhibition of work in the annual graduate shows. Since the mid 20th century, when teaching of product, graphical and technical design began, a comprehensive pictorial record has been kept of student work. Work from the annual degree shows has been photographed as comprehensively as possible since the 1960s; in 1979 this effort was centralised with the RCA's slide library assuming responsibility for photography and cataloguing. Images are stored as prints and slides covering the years up to and including 2002, after which a move to born-digital photography, cataloguing and delivery was effected.
Repository
Archival history
Created and maintained in situ in the College.
GB 1134 RCAA/ROSW 1961-ongoing Sub-fonds of Royal college of Art Archive c50,000 images Royal College of Art
Student activity at the Royal College of Art is reflected in the development of projects within individual departments, culminating in the exhibition of work in the annual graduate shows. Since the mid 20th century, when teaching of product, graphical and technical design began, a comprehensive pictorial record has been kept of student work. Work from the annual degree shows has been photographed as comprehensively as possible since the 1960s; in 1979 this effort was centralised with the RCA's slide library assuming responsibility for photography and cataloguing. Images are stored as prints and slides covering the years up to and including 2002, after which a move to born-digital photography, cataloguing and delivery was effected.
Created and maintained in situ in the College.
Internal accumulation.
Photographic record of student work completed at the Royal College of Art, 1949-ongoing, including c5000 prints, 1949-1980s, c25,000 slides, 1961-2002, and upwards of 25,000 digital images, 2003-ongoing. The majority of images are installation shots of individual student works across all departments, including Painting, Printmaking, Photography, Sculpture, Ceramics and Glass, GoldsmithingSilversmithing Metalwork and Jewellery, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interaction Design, Furniture, Design Products, Architecture, Vehicle Design and Textiles. Work exhibited in the Fashion (catwalk and static) shows and final-year exhibitions staged by Curating Contemporary Art students are also included.
Annual accruals of born-digital images are expected.
Prints are kept in the Library Archive Room; slides are kept within the Digitisation and Image Services room. Digital images are stored on a local server and access is available across the College intranet. All are arranged by chronologically within folders or sections divided by course.
The Library's Special Collections and Archives room and Digitisation and Image Services room are open to researchers; access is by appointment. Digital images are available on the College intranet and access can be provided for researchers during their visit.
Items are made available for the purpose of private study and personal research only. A reader wishing to publish material in the collection should contact the Special Collections Manager, Royal College of Art, in writing. The reader is responsible for obtaining permission to publish from the copyright owner. A majority of born-digital material within the Photographic Record of Student Work is made available under the terms of a Creative Commons licence which permits reproduction in non-commercial contexts, with full attribution. Derivative works are not permitted.
English.
Born-digital images are available to search on the College intranet. A project is under way to digitise selections from the slides and make them searchable in the same way.
The Royal College of Art Archive includes printed material such as prospectuses, degree-show catalogues, Convocation lists and departmental publications which reflect the activities of students in a given year and at the time of the graduation shows.
Compiled by Janet Foster as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project. Revised by Neil Parkinson. NCA rules for construction of personal, place and corporate names (1997), and General International Archival Description, Second edition. Oct 2000; updated November 2008 Art education Artists Arts Cultural education Degrees Educational qualifications Exhibitions Fine arts Learning methods Practical work (learning method) Royal College of Art Student projects Students Works of art Movable cultural property Cultural property Cultural heritage
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Internal accumulation.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Photographic record of student work completed at the Royal College of Art, 1949-ongoing, including c5000 prints, 1949-1980s, c25,000 slides, 1961-2002, and upwards of 25,000 digital images, 2003-ongoing. The majority of images are installation shots of individual student works across all departments, including Painting, Printmaking, Photography, Sculpture, Ceramics and Glass, GoldsmithingSilversmithing Metalwork and Jewellery, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interaction Design, Furniture, Design Products, Architecture, Vehicle Design and Textiles. Work exhibited in the Fashion (catwalk and static) shows and final-year exhibitions staged by Curating Contemporary Art students are also included.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
Annual accruals of born-digital images are expected.
System of arrangement
Prints are kept in the Library Archive Room; slides are kept within the Digitisation and Image Services room. Digital images are stored on a local server and access is available across the College intranet. All are arranged by chronologically within folders or sections divided by course.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
The Library's Special Collections and Archives room and Digitisation and Image Services room are open to researchers; access is by appointment. Digital images are available on the College intranet and access can be provided for researchers during their visit.
Conditions governing reproduction
Items are made available for the purpose of private study and personal research only. A reader wishing to publish material in the collection should contact the Special Collections Manager, Royal College of Art, in writing. The reader is responsible for obtaining permission to publish from the copyright owner. A majority of born-digital material within the Photographic Record of Student Work is made available under the terms of a Creative Commons licence which permits reproduction in non-commercial contexts, with full attribution. Derivative works are not permitted.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
The Royal College of Art Archive includes printed material such as prospectuses, degree-show catalogues, Convocation lists and departmental publications which reflect the activities of students in a given year and at the time of the graduation shows.
Finding aids
Born-digital images are available to search on the College intranet. A project is under way to digitise selections from the slides and make them searchable in the same way.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
- Cultural education » Art education
- Artists
- Arts
- Cultural education
- Educational qualifications » Degrees
- Educational qualifications
- Exhibitions
- Fine arts
- Learning methods
- Learning methods » Practical work (learning method)
- Learning methods » Practical work (learning method) » Student projects
- Students
- Arts » Works of art
- Cultural heritage » Cultural property » Movable cultural property
- Cultural heritage » Cultural property
- Cultural heritage
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
NCA rules for construction of personal, place and corporate names (1997), and General International Archival Description, Second edition.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English