William Shipley - Founder of the Royal Society of Arts

William Shipley was an English drawing master andWilliam Hodges, and Francis Wheatley, he himself
social reformer who, in 1754, launched whatwas not remembered for his artwork. However,
became The Royal Society of Arts.Shipley was an innovate inventor in his own right.
William Shipley was born in 1715 in Maidstone, andHe came up with original ideas on how to provide
grew up in London. His father died when he wascheap fuel for the poor, a floating light (Bouy) in
just three years old and William went to live withorder to save those lost in the sea, a way to
his maternal grandfather. At the age of 21, heestablish new species of fish in ponds around
inherited 500 pounds and used that money toEngland, and possibly strangest of all, a method of
practice as a painter and drawing master. It's atlining your shoes with tinfoil in order to keep them
this time that he also joined the Northamptondry.
Philosophical Society,where he began hisThis quote might help to shed some light on the
philanthropic life by raising funds in order to buyfollowing question: Why was Shipley so historically
fuel for the poor. He worked in Northamptonsignificant?
before striking back to London. In 1755 He"Shipley's life included in its span the surge of
operated a private drawing school in the Strand.English Commercial self-confidence which Defoe
Many students under his charge subsequentlycelebrated and which was to be feared by
became famous artists."Napoleon, the spectacular first stage of the
Every year, his pupils contended successfully forindustrial Revolution from the flying shuttle to
the premiums put up for textile design by thesteam-powered cotton mills, the flowering of
Society of Arts, and prizes were awarded to theEnglish genius in the arts from Hogarth to Turner,
most promising child artist,and sculptor.and the growth of English philanthropic endeavor
The society was established in Rawthmells Coffeefrom the first county hospitals to Hannah More's
house in Covent Garden in London on March 22,'Age if Benevolence.'"
1754. It was first called "Royal Society for theIn the shaping of these momentous
encouragement of Arts, Manufactures &developments many credit Mr. Shipley with helping
Commerce".to establish the role of private organizations to
In 1761 the society opened up its premises inserve the public; the Crown of England was so
London to the first large-scale public exhibition ofpreoccupied with war and money dealings, it had
domestic art ever organized in London.little resources to further enhance culture at the
William Shipley's concept was to make Greattime. "Merely by existing,the society challenged
Britain a center for intellectual advancements inthe way that the British state was organized. To
the areas of arts and sciences. In the daily andbegin with, by taking on certain tasks, they
evening papers the society would have a noticeunderlined just how much the state left undone.
announcing premiums or awards for differentThese days with some 27,000 Fellows developing
discoveries and inventions. For example, thenetworks to find innovative practical solutions to
Society offered premiums for the discovery ofthe most pressing social issues affecting our
cobalt and the raising and curing of madder.communities today, The Royal Society for the
These were not just scatterbrained concerns butencouragement of Arts, Manufactures &
issues of Britain's most critical industry, namely,Commerce, is often simply referred to as The
textiles. According to Colley, "Cobalt dyes a brilliantRoyal Society of Arts, and its members as
blue and the madder was the principal source ofFellows of the RSA (FRSA). Recognition of The
all red dies until the 19th century. Quite simply, theThe Royal Society of Arts immense contribution
society wanted to enable Britain's most importantto society over the past 250 years recently
industry, its textile manufacturers, to be able toincluded a Royal Garden Party hosted at
dye their cloth at home rather than send itBuckingham Palace by HM the Queen, the issue of
abroad.commemorative stamps by the Royal Mail and a
The Society also tried to address the problem ofseries of 5 radio programmes broadcast by BBC
obtaining enough domestic lumber for the buildingradio 4.
of ships. This was a matter of Britain's nationalThe Royal Society of Arts archive is full of
defense. Without timber, the Royal Navy couldcontributions from such notable figures as
not build ships.The Society carried out thisIsambard Kingdom Brunel, Robert Stephenson,
purpose by establishing prizes for the growing ofWilliam Hogarth, Samuel Johnson, Charles Dickens,
trees, such as Chestnut, Oaks, Firs, and Elms.Thomas Hardy, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas
They even offered a premium to anyone able toChippendale, Karl Marx, William Wilberforce, Joseph
develop a scheme to transport breadfruit fromHume, Michael Faraday, Rowland Hill, Edwin
the East to the West Indies. Shipley raised theLutyens, Joseph Banks, Robert & James
money for the enterprise through subscriptions.Adam, and Joshua Reynolds.
There's no doubt that Shipley's contributions toIn 1990 the RSA completed the restoration and
both England's economy and England's securityconversion of its Georgian vaults. These are now
through the Society were substantial.the hub of the Society's conference facilities and
Although William Shipley had many students whoinclude a distinctive restaurant for fellows.
went on to become famous artists, such as