Education, Art and Activism in Post-War Britain: Nan Youngman and Pictures for Schools

Abstract

This paper explores the British art patronage scheme Pictures for Schools, which sold affordable works of art to educational buyers at annual exhibitions between 1947 and 1969, focusing on the work of Pictures for Schools founder and organiser Nan Youngman (1906–1995) as an artist, educationalist and activist. It shows that, while social and cultural changes in post-war Britain around the development of the welfare state provided a receptive environment for Pictures for Schools, it was largely driven by Youngman’s personal convictions and experiences. This paper traces the ideological motivations behind Pictures for Schools to the interwar period, exploring Youngman’s involvement in two progressive organisations, the Artists’ International Association (AIA) and the Society for Education through Art (SEA), which enabled her to campaign for progressive art and education. In doing so, it positions Pictures for Schools as a socially engaged intervention into the post-war education system in England and society.