The purple patch to sexymachinery: 100 years of aa student journals by edward bottoms
The AA library is in the process of rebinding and restoring its collection of student journals. The earliest such publication is The Purple Patch, or Tufton Street Tatler (1905-9) which billed itself as ‘the only intentionally humorous paper’ of the architectural press and parodied the internal AA politics of the day. The less colourful Harlequinade (1923-6) followed, succeeded in turn by the rather earnest Number 35 (1928-30) which incorporated a number of striking woodcuts into each issue. The last issue, published in the depth of the Great Depression, contained the cry ‘gone is the clean boyish fun – the vigorous ragging, the hectic dances, the hard drinking and high thinking… the new system making little pretence at teaching ‘architecture’ and having passed through the mill we shall be fitted only for Empire building…’ Of all the inter-war AA student journals it was Focus (1938-9) that was by far the most significant. The opening lines of the initial editorial stated ‘We were born in the war… We were born in a civilization whose leaders, whose ideals, whose culture had failed. They are still in power to-day… They lead us always deeper into reaction that we are convinced can only end in disaster.’ This sense of impending conflict is present throughout the four issues of this journal, the last of which appeared in the summer of 1939. What makes this journal outstanding, however, is the sheer quality of writing and the calibre of contributors. Issue one featured Le Corbusier’s article ‘If I had to teach you architecture’ and issue two contained MoholyNagy’s ‘Education and the Bauhaus’. Further contributors included such luminaries as Siegfried Gideon, Arthur Korn and Naum Gabo. Quite who was the driving force behind Focus is unclear, but the last issue pays tribute to one of the editors, Howard Cleminson, who tragically committed suicide at the age of 21. The late 1940s and 1950s saw a drought of student publications but with the growth of student activism in the 1960s an increasing number emerged. One of the most important, Clip-kit (1965-6), ran in sixmonthly phases with the subscriber receiving a distinctive yellow clip binder into which all subsequent issues could be filed. Its aim was to examine ‘aspects of design and manufacture normally considered as outside the scope of architectural education.’ Writers included Cedric Price, Reyner Banham and Gustav Metzger, whilst subjects ranged from the mass production of cars to space capsule design and the possibilities of ‘plug-in’ prefabricated living units. A series of inventive but short-lived journals followed in the 1970s, including White Rabbit (1970-1) and Street Farmer (19712). Of more longevity was the AA Newsheet (1971-74), published through the AA Arts & History Department, and whose content was restricted to brief essays, letters and topical listings. Contrasting in style was the
~tme5 1 \l:tme~ Crazed AA AA-Tu~ "to~"'~$;ceR'eportl Tutorl Science I'1IBLlSlttD IIY BVTllt,\RCItlTECTUR,\1, INe. 1't18L1SIt[U n l [ ARCltlTECTURAL ASSOO.\T10N ASSQClATIOS !Ne. Friday October:l.5l11 '974
.~".w.~
Police Police
I~~~~~
s..v., Ne .. Worid
", ,. 0cI. /J, 1914.
Fe.. of God 1') pO< toOl ot ...
I.lINIlON 001)'
Br,'.... _
,..,_~po,
"..,,'""_ .. 196J,_"'"
... _ " . . . , . ......1
1 \:::::::,. . .::::::-::::::::::-.11..-...--. ..-...~ ... I'-'M"" T«1I~I<*Sool1n.
11
...
........,.....t.",...IO_oll"' 1-..... ... "u»oot \0 "-011'"
,St_, s..-·..... .... (1("'<101)'.... ,, 11IM_~aIo'" ot ..... 1 . . . . . . . r_~coII _~ _~
.. "
--
,..... ,rrw_tt/bAII ...."" -.d
.
-"011)"1110 __ !_IIl" ... _ ....
,
_ ... ... dIoty.-""-.... WQ',_ ... ..... ..... ..,....._ •• f .... ""'_~ 'o.ftlolOf:_ "",IIo_', .w.. .. _ __ _.• 100_1' ..... "
I:-~roaIIy-,- " . . . . , _.....
.1
,
i«_~""'·l
tp:'d
If""""... _ ... ''' .... --.Il00
.'
'IIII' ..... ! ~~_ ... lfonnb' 'lbo dof_ 0011_ .. -op ....... _ ........ "'1d>ty , _ _ ..,.. .lbowPCl ooY tbty .... .............. PCI
.n" ""
. 1, ... MtI: ..... dca', doo.~ .. boo:k ........ cu <a<.aooI
1 _.... ... ~oIl11e....,. ".now ...,. of .... pOIi<o
.-Mmoo. "..<Ior_ Tho _ obo_ ......... ..... ..-. _ IIM pIooIopafbo op<dllcolly _Il10 ~sp«lIl ..II)' ""po!I<e.\Ot)' .. 0I1b ...(f«L. pOCiboa. <>1' ........ ID my <ltr_ dof..... """"'"' courud Iw>dIod h........ I~ foe' f.., l1li' .... , ... wI,h "'...."colloolllld and
, 1'"
.0'1 "" ..... B8C1ou,)1I
.........
.,-
<c .. uIoIlht)' ~ ..... iolll•
10.. ID
Yes,Virginia,There Yes ,Vi is a Santa Claus _ _ dr...
bl'" r ~lror<o ""_<o<,,,,,,~ , ,,ro< _droit&. ,,OMO(III< 0.... of tho AA'1. _ <'<IIoo.l _ _ "., ,ed ClfocIe of !be 1n\O~iU'To.cMololY t~lCmIt<hah! TIIdu>oIoIY GeocIe McRoblc. MeRobio, I>IItC'OI OorfC,orof!lle Ii ~~IGrouP.OIII1>o"""'iIIIo; ~k>p .... nl GTOUP,on lhce...nlnf;ofTUo$d,y,OcloW ofTho!oda)o . Oc' ....... 15th. IS.II. !lie rf..... of ITIJG ITOG bM",rQd Ms If'rood (or ond ",Ill. ",id. rot for Iltore_ the ..... I~ a..:rtl' CIeItty Ill. f. 0IId I; • Iou fou .. pply of lil"", uno... ,''' C'II&In om<Il.in$ "'rply id_ ",",od. IhnklllnlO"I tho ",kI. JOkl Cl ...!" *",,*ine
",,',_""""'-III,I<\..__ ~
"'''tob.,', M_',.It .....,b"torblq_'_ n..
otripc-tuj,<d tnW"" M M. . l'todll<:holl. Produc'ion, 01 or ,.~· ..dl«l M, Rob;"', toll; ..... <I>Ihl«l "'oduc.ion by.he A rI'c\orl<t1 qll<O'ion nott - ' by 1'md ...... io<I by the M...,.' It GhHdi fifty y..." G!Wldj Y"U1qo, ",,0. and IM e.en ~en .he IhIn.. one 0rII! h"ndrtd h~f>tlNd YUtt ye ... too 100
,
la •••
"
dua·' .............. -', """""""..... poIkc""""
"
.,
...........th""... ,,",Ion
"
~ ~
n.. iu",,', JUdI,t' • ......,q ..... ~ Tho "mmiIII up up_lone. I 1/11. but ",,,,p.oloo.o.ry frIOt ..... Tho "-d Tho pry mu" ....,,''1' make up ""'" ohel, ",IIIW mind> abool_ .... ....... ~ abot,o, . . . "1<l1l\I "'" n..,..,..( ..... .-'ollbylll. 11>0 jury (..,... rodIocod ," 11 b)' 111-
,,<)''''''..
,
. ..""
"""'"'*""""
_1, ............. .. -,., _ _ ............ 1 (Of -Idly ! boo" lbeycloo', ... I, Is ......... t d\I1lhcy Il00',
1
10
...puyo(IO'Il~. , ....... ...odI.oupI'YofIO.!f~_ n.o,..aob adI.~-' They • 1DIfOri'Y-' 1001,.,11)',," _ _ 1_
............. ""'-,
, '1).1 ...1'1' ... _"""",,-1_
'''''-_-*'"-
,.
"
".
Photos: AA Library
__ ."l'Iot 111_,,,,,, JMft 4It«U The .... 4irt<u _
AArchitecture – Issue 1
The Purple Patch to Sexymachinery: 100 years of AA Student Journals
Ghost Dance Times (opposite) broadsheet, 1974, 25 October
Focus No. 1 cover, 1938
Clip-kit 1965-6 -Yellow binder containing Clip-kit magazine.