Papers of Thomas C. Simmonds, Headmaster of Glasgow School of Art, 1881-1885

• Reference:GB 1694 GSAA/DIR/4
• Dates of Creation:1881; 1885
• Name of Creator:
  Simmonds Thomas C. (1842-1912)
• Language of Material:English
• Physical Description:
  0.04 metres

• Scope and Content

  Correspondence sent by Thomas Simmonds July - December 1885, correspondence received by Thomas Simmonds July - December 1885, correspondence from Glasgow School of Art to the Derby School of Art September - October 1885, correspondence from the Derby School of Art to Glasgow School of Art October 1885, Mr. Simmonds' cash book 1881-1885.

  All the correspondence listed here occurred after Simmonds left the Glasgow School of Art. The major correspondent is the School Secretary, Edward Catterns, and all the letters from him to Simmonds are the draft or copy letters kept by the school office. Other correspondence includes the letters between Catterns and the Derby School of Art regarding the situation with Simmonds.

• Administrative / Biographical History

  Thomas C. Simmonds (1842-1912) had been Headmaster of Derby School of Art before

  taking over GSA, and he returned to teach at Derby in 1885. He was instrumental in

  getting the Governors of GSA to see the need for a new building and regularly

  complained to the Committee of Management about the conditions that the students

  had to work under.

  Simmonds had arranged to take up his position at Derby School of Art by April 1885,

  leaving GSA in May, but his contract was not supposed to end until August. This, plus

  the attempts by Simmonds to claim all monies he saw as due to him from student

  successes at the Science and Art examinations in South Kensington, led to an

  embittered correspondence between himself and the School. The letters that survive

  from this period illustrate the problems and financial fragility of the position of the

  headmaster of a provincial School of Design.

  All the correspondence listed here occurs after Simmonds leaves GSA. The major

  correspondent is the School Secretary, Edward Catterns, and all the letters from him

  to Simmonds are the draft or copy letters kept by the School Office. Other

  correspondence includes the letters between Catterns and the Department of Science and

  Art regarding the situation with Simmonds.

  Other records from this period include Governor's Minutes and correspondence,

  press cuttings, financial records and student registers.

• Arrangement

  The material is arranged into series and then arranged chronologically.

• Access Information

  Directors' papers which are over 30 years old are available for public consultation. Permission from the director is needed for access to those less than 30 years old.

• Appraisal Information

  This material has been appraised in line with Glasgow School of Art Archives and Collections standard procedures.