Morley’s Pelham Hall on Lambeth Walk celebrates 50 years as an inspiring sculpture studio with a fascinating social history.
Fifty years ago, a former Edwardian chapel on Lambeth Walk called Pelham Mission Hall was converted into Morley College’s new sculpture studio. Generations of students have since enjoyed a wide range of sculpture courses at Pelham Hall – from clay life modelling, wearable sculpture, to metal construction, to stone and wood carving, to bronze and pewter casting. Now, a new exhibition at Morley Gallery Pelham Hall@50 celebrates the art of sculpture created by staff who’ve worked at Pelham Hall over the past five decades.
The Pelham Mission Hall Story
Morley’s sculpture studio is housed in a converted chapel hall steeped in the social history of Lambeth. Pelham Hall was built in 1910 – commissioned and paid for the by St-Mary-at-Lambeth Church on Lambeth Palace Road which is situated next door to Lambeth Palace. St Mary’s dates back over a thousand years, to 1062.
Pelham Hall is a few streets away from St Mary at Lambeth. The new Hall was designed in 1910 to serve what the Rector of Lambeth described as “the poorest part of our poor parish”.
The foundation Stone was laid in a ceremony hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Randall Thomas Davidson, on July 18th 1910. What sets Pelham Hall apart architecturally is a highly distinctive external pulpit.
External Pulpit, Pelham Mission Hall
The Morning Advertiser reported on the Foundation Stone laying ceremony telling its readers that the new building would be named ‘Pelham Mission Hall’ after the late Canon Pelham who had been Rector of Lambeth for eleven years . The Archbishop said “their late friend [Canon Pelham] was an athlete, a cricketer, a man among men, a friend whom everyone who knew him loved” and he added that “Canon Pelham would have wanted such a mission there”.
The Bishop of Edinburgh’s letter to the editor
In August 1910 the Bishop of Edinburgh (and Rector of Lambeth) wrote a letter to The South London Press detailing the thinking behind commissioning the new Mission Hall – and asking for donations from parishoners to cover a shortfall in the building funds.
The letter reads: “Sir, I am most anxious to hand over the Mission Hall, which we are now building in the poorest part of our poor parish, free of debt, to the new Rector, who hopes to be instituted on September 29. The total cost is £1800, and we have now secured in money and promises about £1330… May I appeal to the many friends of the parish to give us what they can that this work may be set free on its errand of mercy. It is sadly needed and it is in the very best place where it its witness will best , being situated in Lambeth Walk, which is thronged every evening with poor making purchases , but where trading, I am sorry to say, is carried on to a late hour every Sunday evening.”
Distinctive Design
Pelham Mission Hall was designed by notable architects Waring and Nicholson – who were already well-known in the area for creating the landmark building – the Royal Waterloo Hospital for Children and Women on the corner of Waterloo Bridge Road, and possible involvement in the iconic former Royal Doulton headquarters building, 28 Lambeth High Street. The three buildings share the Royal Doulton terracotta brick facade.
The purchase of the Pelham Hall by Morley College in 1976
By the mid nineteen seventies, the fortunes St Mary’s at Lambeth had dramatically changed. Faced with demolition, in 1977 the church was saved and converted into the Garden Museum – “celebrating the art, history and design of gardens” .
Meanwhile, Pelham Hall was bought by Morley College, following years of fundraising work by Morley Principal Barry Till. £6000 was raised to buy the building lease. The donors included Sir Henry Moore, who gifted a sculpture which was sold at auction with the proceeds put towards the purchase of Pelham Hall. Later the studio was named ‘The Henry Moore Sculpture Studio’ in recognition of Moore’s generosity.
The studio opened in July 1976 by the Minister for Arts – Lord Donaldson – who said at the opening that anyone teaching sculpture in the studio was “doing God’s work” – and wished the project success.
Multi-media Sculpture
From its beginnings the new studio at Pelham Hall attracted students – drawn by the interesting building, community, facilities, and expertise of tutors. Sheila Vollmer led the sculpture department at Morley for twenty years, is co-curator of the Pelham Hall @50 exhibition with co-curator and Morley sculpture tutor Alexandra Harvey.
Sheila says ” The Pelham Hall studio became this wonderful site of making, I think, starting with a stone carving and life-modelling. I started here over 30 years ago and brought the first metal class, renting the equipment. And later on we’ve just become so well-equipped. Now we’re doing bronze casting and pewter casting. And every sort of imaginable metalwork and forging. In 2011, we had a refurbishment, insulating the roof and getting these wonderful skylights, and making this a much safer space. It’s really multi use.”
Sculptural excellence
The department has attracted talented sculptors and tutors over the years. “We’ve had really interesting tutors over the years. Jane McAdam Freuds, daughter of Lucian Freud and granddaughter of Sigmund Freud. Everton Wright, Hazel Reeves, who teaches with us and has done the wonderful commissions of suffragettes one being Emmeline Pankhurst in Manchester. So we have really specialised, skilled tutors that come and work with us, which we’re is celebrating our 50th anniversary.”
Growing public interest in sculpture
Reflecting on sculpture as an artform, Sheila adds; “I think sculpture is growing in popularity. And I think more people are choosing to explore in 3D medium and in materials. And there’s more and more of a tradition of sustainable materials and materials that people can easily source, possibly less so with the traditions of, bronze and stone. It may be more expensive. So I think it’s growing more and in that way and becoming more accessible….. It’s been 50 years. We’re celebrating a huge, diversity of skills and students and tutors that have come through our doors. And long may it continue!”
Visit the Pelham Hall @50 exhibition at Morley Gallery
The Pelham Hall at 50 exhibition runs at Morley Gallery until 28th March. Discover our sculpture courses at Pelham Hall. It’s never too late to try your hand at sculpting!
With thanks to Elaine Andrews for some amazing historical research
