[2][3][4] Saint Martin's School of Art was established in 1854 by Henry Mackenzie, vicar of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields.

[4] The Gilbert-Garret Competition for Sketching Clubs was founded at Saint Martin's in 1870, when John Parker was headmaster.

He brought in young sculptors such as Anthony Caro, Robert Clatworthy, Elisabeth Frink and Eduardo Paolozzi to teach, and also employed as part-time teachers recent graduates of the department, including David Annesley, Michael Bolus, Phillip King, Tim Scott, Bill Tucker and Isaac Witkin.

The sculpture department became, in the words of Tim Scott: "the most famous in the art world".

[7] The first public performance of the Sex Pistols took place at the school on 6 November 1975; they were the support band for a group called Bazooka Joe.