The Central School of Art and Design (12-48 Southampton Row, Holborn) was established in 1896 by the London County Council and moved to these purpose-built premises in 1908. Built by the London County Council architects department, the job architect was A.H. Verstage, although architect and school principal W.R. Lethaby had considerable involvement. Constructed of Cornish granite and Portland stone, the building was Grade II listed in 1982, entry 1378790. In 1989 the school merged with Saint Martin's School of Art, becoming Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design. It is now a constituent college of the University of the Arts, London. The school no longer occupies these buildings as it moved all of its sites to new premises at Granary Square, Kings Cross in 2011. The centre of the photograph, looking northwards, shows Sentinel House, built as government offices in the 1950s and now a hotel (part of the Jury's Inn chain). Vehicles and a lorry can be seen, along with numerous pedestrians. Also visible in the centre of the picture is the entry to the Kingsway Tramway tunnel, with distinctive iron railings.
