Saint Martin's School of Art was established in 1854 by
Henry Mackenzie,
vicar of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. It became independent from the church in 1859. The school was at first housed on the top floor of St Martin's Northern School in Shelton Street (then called Castle Street), to the north of
Long Acre. The Gilbert-Garret Competition for Sketching Clubs was founded at Saint Martin's in 1870, when John Parker was headmaster. It was named after
Sir John Gilbert, the first president of the school. From 1952 to 1979
Frank Martin was head of the
sculpture department of Saint Martin's. He brought in young sculptors such as
Anthony Caro,
Robert Clatworthy,
Elisabeth Frink and
Eduardo Paolozzi to teach, and also employed as part-time teachers recent graduates of the department, including
David Annesley,
Michael Bolus,
Phillip King,
Tim Scott,
Bill Tucker and
Isaac Witkin. Caro's influence was particularly strong, and the group around him came to be known as the New Generation of British sculptors. The sculpture department became, in the words of Tim Scott: "the most famous in the art world". The first public performance of the
Sex Pistols took place at the school on 6 November 1975; they were the support band for a group called
Bazooka Joe. Saint Martin's became part of the
London Institute in 1986, and in 1989 merged with the
Central School of Art and Design to form
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.
Foyles bookstore moved into the college's former building at 107 Charing Cross Road in 2014. == Alumni ==