How did we get to where we are today?

LCC has a strong track record of evolution as the technologies and communications methods of the era have developed, ensuring that the College can continue to equip its students for successful careers.  Here are some of the milestones of LCC’s proud history and heritage, which involved changes in curriculum, name changes and mergers.

1894 – Our “ancestor”, the Saint Bride Foundation Institute Printing School, opens in Saint Bride Lane as a social, educational and cultural centre, housing both a technical library and printing school to provide tuition for local printers and students.  Evening classes are taken by 124 students.

1894 – Another of our forebears, the Guild and Technical School, opens in Clerkenwell Road, moving the follow year to 6 Bolt Court. It becomes known as the Bolt Court Technical School and is rebuilt 1911.

1912 - Mr J. R. Riddell is appointed first full-time principal of St. Brides. Teaching moves from text-book based to practical.

1919 - The first full-time course begins at St. Brides.

1921 – The Westminster Day Continuation School, yet another of the institutions that will later become LCC as we know it today, opens to students. Eight years later it will be renamed the School of Retail Distribution.

1922 - St Bride Printing School moves to 61 Stamford Street, a short distance from the College’s current home, and is renamed the London School of Printing and Kindred Trades.

1929 - North Western Polytechnic opens and includes a Printing School.

1949 - Bolt Court and LSP merge to form the London School of Printing and Graphic Arts.

1953 – The Bolt Court operation moves to the Old Daily Mirror building at Back Hill, Clerkenwell.

1954 – Renowned designer and poster artist Tom Eckersley joined the College to teach undergraduates. Here he established the first undergraduate courses in graphic design in Britain. He was Head of Design at the College from 1957 until 1977.

1962 - The College is renamed the London College of Printing and moves to the new campus at Elephant & Castle.

1969 - North Western Polytechnic printing department merges with LCP.

1973 – The Design and Management extension at Elephant & Castle, today known as the Design Block, officially opens.

1985 - The London Institute, the forerunner of the University of the Arts London, our parent university, was formed.

1990 - The College of Distributive Trades merges with LCP to become the London College of Printing and Distributive Trades.

1993 - The London Institute's Taught Degree Awarding Powers are approved by Privy Council.

1996 – The London College of Printing and Distributive Trades is renamed as the London College of Printing.

2000 - Work started at the Elephant and Castle site on the construction of an additional block, now the Media Block.

2002 - The London Institute is granted Research Degree Awarding Powers.

2003 - The London Institute is granted University title. The College’s new entrance is created, producing a new 6000 sq metre state-of-the-art building and refits of other areas at the site. The School of Media moves from Back Hill, Clerkenwell, to its new purpose-built premises at Elephant and Castle.

2004 - London College of Printing renamed as London College of Communication. The London Institute is officially inaugurated as University of the Arts London.