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The teaching of Architecture

The Department of Architecture was established in 1912 after the Slade Professor, the distinguished Arts and Crafts architect and scholar, Edwin Schroder Prior, persuaded the University to establish a Board of Architectural Studies. Prior’s finest building is perhaps the church of St Andrew, Roker, Sunderland and his best known book is The Cathedral Builders.

In the fifties the University established a committee to review the teaching of Architecture at Cambridge, it was this committee that persuaded the University to expand the subject. As a result Leslie Martin was appointed as the first Professor and the University increased the resources available to the Faculty.

The teaching of History of Art

Originally Fine Arts was taught at Cambridge by occasional lectures. In 1869 an endowment from Felix Slade established a Chair in Fine Art and the holders delivered an annual series of public lectures. The Slade Professor was elected for life. Since 1960 the Slade Professor has been elected for one year by a Board of Electors on which both Departments are represented. (A list of Slade Professors is available from the secretary in the History of Art Department.)

After the war History of Art was taught as a set of papers in the Architecture and Fine Arts tripos. Michael Jaffe was Lecturer in Fine Arts in 1961 and with support from Sir Leslie Martin, the Professor of Architecture, started Tripos teaching for the Fine Arts. For two or three years there was only one degree - the Fine Arts degree. The History of Art Tripos was gradually established within the Fine Arts Faculty between 1961 – 1971. Before this time there were diplomas but not a tripos. Michael Jaffe became ad hominem Professor in 1973 when he became Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum.

In 1970 the Department of History of Art was set up within the Faculty of Architecture and History of Art, Michael Jaffe was appointed as Head of Department in 1970 and a one part History of Art Tripos was established. The full three-year Tripos began in 1999.

In 1974 George Henderson became Head of Department and there were four teaching staff: Virginia Spate, Paul Joannides and David Watkin. In 1977 a fifth member, Jean Michel Massing arrived. In 1978 John Gage arrived replacing Virginia Spate who took up a chair in Sydney, Australia. In October 1999 a Part 1 was established. In 2000 Alyce Mahon took the place of John Gage who retired. The Head of the History of Art Department has rotated, David Watkin succeeded George Henderson, followed by John Gage, then by Jean Michel Massing in 1995 and by Paul Binski in 1999. Professor Deborah Howard became Head of Department in 2002, and in the same year a sixth permanent position was created. David Watkin is currently Head of Department, beginning his term in Lent 2006.



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