The ICA

There is a new book out about the early years of the ICA, which Peter Watson helped to create: “The ICA 1946-1968″ By Gregor Muir and Anne Massey. The book contains a useful chronology,  showing the amazing variety of cultural projects promoted by the ICA from its earliest years. It has a footnote reference to this website and a reference to my piece on Watson and Colin Anderson in the BAJ.

 After a brief visit to the current ICA in the Mall, we walked back past its site from 1950-1968 at 17/18 Dover Street. This is now the Dover Street Market, but to our surprise they were also celebrating the ICA’s tenure and had a range of visual displays referring to the ICA. The great excitement was going up to the old exhibition space at the front on the first floor, overlooking Dover Street. The new book has many pictures showing this space in use in the 1950s; it must always have been very cramped for what they were trying to do.