384:
written account, drawings or even a model was required as a permanent record. This detailed investigation was referred to one of the
Committees established early on in the formation of the Society. There were six principal ones: Agriculture, Chemistry, Polite Arts, Manufactures, Mechanics, and Colonies and Trade. They dealt with the matters speedily – often within a week – and would meet frequently to get the work done. By 1764 the organisation for handling prize entries and awards had almost become an industry in its own right: the offers published that year filled 91 pages of text and comprised 380 classes in which to compete. By 1766 the amount expended on premiums totalled £16,625.
72:
91:, came to view the Society as counter to the interests of America writing, " What you call Bounties...are nothing more than Inducements offered us, to induce us to leave Employments that are more profitable and engage in such as would be less...to quit a Business profitable to ourselves and engage in one as shall be profitable to you".
79:
The name "Society for the
Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce" was adopted, but this rather cumbersome title was fairly soon abbreviated to "The Society of Arts". The organisation grew in its first few years from the original 11 members to about 3,000; ladies became members quite early
383:
The first premium list was a trial effort. Soon afterwards the members involved developed eight quite searching criteria for deciding how and to whom to award prizes. They ranged from deciding whether the proposal for an award had more than local or temporary significance, to determining whether a
379:
The aim of the first two was to encourage domestic production of two very important raw materials, then being imported at great cost; and to make available cheap dyestuffs, to avoid having textiles dyed abroad. The third and fourth were to encourage a supply of draughtsmen, especially for creating
63:
Shipley produced two leaflets: "Proposals for raising by subscription a fund to be distributed in
Premiums for the promoting of improvements in the liberal arts and sciences, manufactures, etc." and "A scheme for putting the Proposals in execution". These were privately circulated in London before
117:
was president of the
Society when, in 1845, he suggested to some of the members the idea of "forming in England great Periodical Exhibitions of the Products of Industry." Its subsequent organisation was handled by a Royal Commission, with extensive involvement of several members of the Society.
394:
K W Luckhurst, MA – the then secretary to the RSA – described in his 1949 paper the many successes flowing from the awards, including reafforestation and the invention of mechanical devices. Much more recently, however, the economist Zorina Khan has stated that the
Society "ultimately became
346:
The
Society met 15 times in the period 22 March 1754 through 5 February 1755, with three members attending 10 or more times (Goodchild, Messiter and Shipley) and some only once or twice (Lawrence, Brander, Hales and the Bishop of Worcester)
106:) built the present house for the Society, which has occupied it ever since. The property, at 6 John Adam Street, was completed on 24 April 1774; the Society was initially a tenant but bought the building in 1922.
64:
Shipley moved to live there. He visited Lord Romney and was assured of his and
Folkestone's support. After months of canvassing Shipley called the first meeting, which was held at Rawthmell's Coffee House, at 25
391:
was published in 1769 dedicated to "The Right
Honourable the President, Vice Presidents and Members of the Society..." which gives a full and amusing account of the Society and its achievements.
395:
disillusioned with the prize system, which they recognized had done little to promote technological progress and industrialization" and argues that the patent system is more effective.
446:
590:
689:"'Little more…than of a Society in the moon': Publicising the work of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (1754–1900)"
451:
Invention of a magnetic apparatus that would prevent metal dust getting into the eyes and lungs of workers employed in grinding the points of needles
48:– had the idea of stimulating industry by means of prizes funded by public-spirited people. Through mutual friends in London he was introduced to the
52:, a distinguished scientist. Hales liked the idea and asked Shipley to put his proposals in writing while Hales contacted two important colleagues,
895:
853:
476:
749:
The advancement of arts, manufactures, and commerce; or, descriptions of the useful machines and models contained in the repository of the
890:
584:
355:
From the very first meeting the
Society took a practical approach to its mission. Premiums were offered for four specific purposes:
519:
A concise account of the Rise, Progress, and
Present State of the Society For the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce
900:
197:
53:
438:
Invention of a method of firing a rope and grapple by mortar from a ship to the shore, to save people on board from shipwreck
863:
607:
815:
80:
on, as Shipley had wished. Viscount Folkestone was the first President (1755–1761) and Lord Romney the second (1761–1793).
688:
636:
Freeman Dyson. (2008). The Scientist as Rebel. New York: New York Review of Books. "Preface". p. x. ISBN 9781590172940.
292:
731:
661:
248:
57:
109:
One of the Society’s greatest achievements in the nineteenth century was its close involvement with establishing
65:
885:
28:
now more usually known as the RSA. The original Society gained the Royal prefix in the Edwardian era, when the
564:
Luckhurst, K W (11 March 1949). "William Shipley and the Royal Society of Arts: The History of an Idea".
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224:
172:
154:
81:
150:
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319:
114:
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was its President. Its primary aim was to stimulate industry through the awarding of prizes.
21:
110:
8:
808:"Prestige and Profit: The Royal Society of Arts and Incentives for Innovation, 1750–1850"
215:
Prosperous linen draper, Hales' neighbour in Twickenham, and Society's first Treasurer.
827:
716:
501:
Allan, D. G. C. (1995). "Robert Marsham, 2nd Baron Romney (d. 1793) and the Society".
859:
831:
727:
603:
423:
88:
819:
668:. The Transferware Collectors Club and The Northern Ceramic Society. 29 August 2017
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168:
75:
The First Meeting of the Society of Arts at Rawthmell's Coffee House, 22 March 1754
623:
782:
417:
388:
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British MP, later Sir Charles. Expert in statistics and finance. Vice-President.
261:
41:
599:
879:
220:
95:
71:
49:
332:
125:. Today it is more commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts or the RSA.
94:
For the first two decades the Society used various premises, mostly in the
762:
Blood, Hilary (December 1964). "The Polite Arts and the Society of Arts".
99:
45:
517:
695:. AHRC-funded 'Institutions of Literature, 1700–1900' research network
123:
Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce
807:
823:
29:
26:
Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce
18:
Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce
360:
462:
Invention of a safer crane with a pneumatic braking mechanism
367:
134:
Members attending the first fifteen meetings of the Society
84:
was the society's Secretary from 1768 to his death in 1799.
118:
During this period the Society received its Royal Charter.
855:
British Chimney Sweeps: Five Centuries of Chimney Sweeping
534:"Henrietta Street and Maiden Lane Area: Henrietta Street"
205:
English politician of Huguenot descent. First President.
648:
The Annals of Yorkshire from the earliest period to 1852
585:"More, Samuel (1726–1799), apothecary and administrator"
540:. Institute of Historical Research, University of London
718:
William Shipley: Founder of the Royal Society of Arts
372:
For the best drawing by a child under 14 years of age
858:. Chicago: New Amsterdam Books. pp. 162–163.
715:
594:(online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004.
583:
366:For raising and curing not less than 20 pounds of
340:Bishop of Worcester, formerly Bishop of St Asaph.
375:For the best drawing by a child between 14 and 17
877:
305:Merchant and natural historian. Vice-President.
192:Proprietor of the Vauxhall porcelain factory.
287:Scottish mathematician and telescope maker.
98:area. Then, in 1772–74, the Adams brothers (
851:
559:
557:
555:
645:
563:
233:Distinguished scientist. Vice-President.
784:Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce: a Poem
780:
552:
515:
70:
20:, founded in 1754, was the precursor of
896:Learned societies of the United Kingdom
686:
666:Printed British Pottery & Porcelain
591:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
878:
746:
350:
761:
713:
693:Institutions of Literature, 1700–1900
500:
816:National Bureau of Economic Research
812:National Bureau of Economic Research
805:
764:Journal of the Royal Society of Arts
650:. Leeds: George Crosby. p. 234.
566:Journal of the Royal Society of Arts
494:
44:– a little-known drawing master in
13:
14:
912:
891:Organizations established in 1754
687:Bennett, Susan (16 August 2017).
380:designs in the textile industry.
128:
806:Khan, B. Zorina (January 2017).
845:
799:
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755:
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269:The Society's first Secretary.
121:In 1908 the Society became the
66:Henrietta Street, Covent Garden
901:1754 establishments in England
722:. London: Hutchinson. p.
680:
654:
639:
630:
576:
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87:An American member in London,
1:
487:
852:Cullingford, Benita (2000).
624:UK public library membership
428:50 guineas and a gold medal
60:, to seek their assistance.
7:
50:Rev. Dr. Stephen Hales, FRS
10:
917:
662:"Cobalt for Blue-Printing"
505:. January/February: 67–69.
35:
781:Cockings, George (1769).
751:. London: William Adlard.
646:Schroeder, Henry (1852).
516:Mortimer, Thomas (1763).
363:produced in Great Britain
359:For the best quantity of
814:. Working Paper Series.
747:Bailey, William (1772).
600:10.1093/ref:odnb/38826
538:British History Online
459:Christopher Pinchbeck
243:Physician, died 1785.
76:
886:Royal Society of Arts
714:Allan, D G C (1968).
74:
111:The Great Exhibition
447:John Hessey Abraham
351:Awards and Outcomes
135:
113:of 1851 in London.
54:Viscount Folkestone
133:
77:
68:on 22 March 1754.
865:978-1-56663-345-1
622:(Subscription or
609:978-0-19-861412-8
485:
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475:Invention of the
422:Invention of the
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320:Charles Whitworth
89:Benjamin Franklin
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256:Vice-President.
238:Husband Messiter
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169:Gustavus Brander
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418:Henry Greathead
389:George Cockings
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262:William Shipley
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42:William Shipley
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30:Prince of Wales
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129:Early Meetings
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613:. Retrieved
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471:George Smart
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333:Isaac Maddox
181:Naturalist.
163:Naturalist.
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39:
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15:
837:19 February
544:20 February
503:RSA Journal
481:Gold medal
477:Scandiscope
441:50 guineas
275:James Short
249:Lord Romney
151:Henry Baker
82:Samuel More
58:Lord Romney
46:Northampton
880:Categories
626:required.)
615:2021-05-28
572:: 262–283.
488:References
406:Recipient
387:A poem by
832:157596787
522:. London.
434:John Bell
40:In 1753,
791:17 March
787:. London
699:16 March
672:16 March
454:A medal
424:lifeboat
337: 57
324: 33
302: 66
284: 44
266: 38
253: 42
230: 77
202: 60
189: 50
178: 34
160: 56
770:: 8–14.
409:Reason
36:History
862:
830:
730:
620:
606:
412:Prize
399:Prizes
368:madder
361:cobalt
145:Notes
100:Robert
828:S2CID
104:James
24:Royal
860:ISBN
839:2019
793:2019
728:ISBN
701:2019
674:2019
604:ISBN
546:2019
139:Name
102:and
56:and
22:The
16:The
820:doi
768:113
596:doi
297:FRS
279:FRS
225:FRS
173:FRS
155:FRS
142:Age
882::
826:.
818:.
810:.
766:.
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724:55
691:.
664:.
602:.
588:.
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568:.
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536:.
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