THE LONDON ART HISTORY SOCIETY Report and Accounts 2016-17

THE LONDON ART HISTORY SOCIETY Report and Accounts 2016-17

LONDON ART HISTORY SOCIETY

REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR 2016-17

CONTENTS

Page

Chairman’s Report 1

Statement of Committee Responsibilities

For the Year Ended 30 June 2017 3

Income and Expenditure Account 4

Balance Sheet as at 30th June 2017 5

Analysis of Activities 6

Notes to the Financial Statements 6

Independent Reviewer’s Report to the 7

Members of the London Art History Society

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

1. INTRODUCTION

The year 2016-17 saw the Society offer a wide range of Lectures and Study Events on art historical subjects for our members as well as running overseas tours, and publishing the Review.This report summarises the activities we undertook. Once again, we have been able to donate money to arts organisations but still make a small surplus.

1. COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES

The new booking process, introduced in 2016 using WebCollect and our secretarial assistant, Judith Burt, has worked without any significant problems during the year. This system enables new members to join, existing members to book events and to renew their membership online with a robust traditional alternative method for those members who are not online. It has greatly eased the burden on volunteers and improved the management of the Society.

Plans have been progressed to modernise the Society’s website during 2017-18 to provide more up to date information to members and to improve the ease of use of this important communications channel.

Our relationship with Birkbeck History of Art Department has been strengthened during the year and we now vigorously promote the Society to Birkbeck students. We used the Keynes Library for two study events and plan more for next year.

The size of the Society has grown by over 10% to more than430 people.

The Committee and all the dedicated volunteers, who organise the activities of the Society, have worked hard this year to prepare and manage the wide-ranging programme of activities. We are all grateful for their substantial contributions.

1. LECTURES

The 2016-17 lecture season covered topics as diverse as Social Realism and Art Deco scent. The Maria Shirley lecture was delivered by Glyn Davies on medieval caskets, Caroline Campbell spoke on Giovanni Bellini's Madonna of the Meadow and the much-missed Joachim Strupp brightened January with a lecture on Baroque ceilings. Other lectures covered the depiction of slaves in painting and queer art. Attendance was generally high with a particularly high attendance for Paula Nuttall's lecture on Hans Memling and Italy.

1. SHORT COURSES

Our 2016/17 programme of Short Courses presented us with some organisational problems and some sadness. On account of pregnancy, Antonia GatwardCevizli had to withdraw from the Course on Ottoman Art and Architecture after booking had opened and we had to find a replacement lecturer at short notice. Maeve O’Donnell Morales stepped in valiantly and, despite not having worked in the field for some years, gave us a series of lectures with remarkable digital references. Richard Plant also had to come to the rescue at the last minute to present the first session of the Art of Spain and Portugal, when the lecturer found herself unavoidably double-booked. The final and saddest change was our having to cancel the second Course on Italian Villas on account of the tragic death of Joachim Strupp in a car accident just a few days before it was due to start.

We also had to deal with the problem that the restoration work at the Baptist Church overran seriously and our Courses at that venue were frequently disrupted. In this connection, we should like to thank members, Course helpers and the lecturers for their cooperation and good humour in coping with these upsets.

Despite all this, the Courses proved popular and were well supported. Siân Walters treated Giovanni Bellini masterfully in a course safely at the Conway Hall and John McNeill completed his chronological survey triumphantly with The Rise of the Gothic in the finally refurbished Baptist Church.

1. STUDY DAYS AND STUDY VISITS

The Study Days covered a wide span of art history, from Anglo-Saxon art led by Dr Janine Ramirez, Renaissance City States, Caravaggio, Arts and Crafts, and Art Nouveau to a Cubism Day with Ben Street. The spring term saw the initial lectures establishing termly Study Days on the themes of 20th Century ‘Isms’ and Italian City States.

The visits were to the Fitzwilliam Museum looking at the Ceramics Collection and led by the curator, the Supreme Court, Guildhall, Greenwich (Queen Ann House, lunch, Lady Hamilton exhibition).

Andrew Davies’ Walks continue to be popular and included Clerkenwell, Soho and West India Docks/Isle of Dogs.

1. STUDY TOURS

We organised two tours in 2016-17. A group of 20 members visited Holland in September 2016 where we were based in Haarlem for four nights. Clare Ford-Wille led a study tour of Dutch Golden Age Art visiting the major museums in Haarlem, Gouda, Leiden, The Hague and Amsterdam where we enjoyed her expertise in the amazingly busy galleries whilst enjoying delightful weather and excellent city architecture walks.

A slightly longer Spring tour 2017 was to Munich where, over seven days, Tom Abbott led a group of 15 members around a selection of museums in the city studying various aspects of German art and sculpture, cherry-picking the best across a broad period from the era of Riemenschneider through to the Contemporary art of Brandhorst Collection. We had a city walk, a coach tour around the Habsburgerstrasse to see its Art Nouveau architecture and also visited Schleissheim and Nymphenburg, to enjoy their collections, architecture and parkland. Both tours included the best of local cuisine. Another successful series of tours.

1. REVIEW

The London Art History Society Review 2016 marked two important anniversaries: the five-hundredth anniversary of the death of Giovanni Bellini with a celebration of his art; and four hundred years since the death of William Shakespeare reflecting on how his plays have inspired artists. Other topics included: the restoration of the early Christian church of S. Maria Antiqua in Rome; whether or not Paul Nash was a surrealist in the light of the major exhibition at Tate Britain; the pioneering of scientific methods of picture restoration at the National Gallery in the Second World War; and the work of the American artist Georgia O’Keeffe.

1. DONATIONS

We were able to make donations again this year. The amount given was not as great, partly because of increases in accommodation and operating costs and because we had to cancel a popular course. Donations were made to Birkbeck Department of Art History Research Fund (£2,000) to support students’ research projects and to The Sir John Soane Museum Education Department (£2,000) to continue our support for an education project.

John Dunlop

Chairman

STATEMENT OF COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30th JUNE 2017

The Committee is responsible for maintaining proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Society. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Society and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Committee is also required to prepare financial statements for each financial year in accordance with the accounting records. In preparing those financial statements, the Committee is required to:

- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

- make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

- state whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume thatthe society will continue in business.

Chairman and Treasurer ………………………..……………………John Dunlop

Deputy Chairman……………………………………………………………Susan Anstruther

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
For the year ended 30th June 2017 / 2017 / 2016
£ / £
Income
Members’ Subscriptions / 8,385 / 7,281
Guest Fees / 135 / 58
Interest Received
Donations Received (note 2) / 10
500 / 24
0
Other Income / 0 / 53
Subtotal Ordinary Income / 9,030 / 7,416
Receipts for Study Days and Visits / 11,677 / 16,030
Study Tours / 21,481 / 21,628
Short Course Income / 33,184 / 34,733
Total Income / 75,372 / 79,807
Expenditure
Cost of Lectures / 7,229 / 5,063
Cost of Refreshments / 95 / 345
Postage / 324 / 1,092
General Design and Printing / 3,316 / 3,120
System Development and Running / 2,415 / 1,540
Sundry Costs / 2,248 / 1,528
Review Design and Printing / 2,456 / 1,848
Subtotal Ordinary Expenditure / 18,083 / 14,536
Study Days and Visits / 11,407 / 13,133
Study Tours / 20,244 / 16,717
Short Courses / 21,371 / 17,769
Donations Made (note 3) / 4,000 / 17,250
Total Expenditure / 75,105 / 79,405
Net surplus for the year / 267 / 402
2017 / 2016
£ / £
Current Assets
Prepayment of Lecture Costs
Prepayment for Study Events / 0
6,734 / 490
2,072
Prepayments for Tours
Prepayments Website Development (Note 4) / 2,594
1,650 / 1,698
0
Unity Trust Bank Current Account / 6,411 / 4,799
Unity Trust Bank Deposit Account
Unity Trust Select Account
PayPal
GoCardless / 10,813
548
170
0 / 17,303
2,468
3,146
0
Cash Euros / 0 / 0
Cash Sterling / 127 / 57
Subtotal / 29,047 / 32,033
Current Liabilities
Creditors (Note 5)
Deposits Received for Short Courses and Study Events / (200)
(10,270) / (550)
(13,473)
Net Assets / 18,577 / 18,010
Financed By
Income and Expenditure Account Balance at start / 18,010 / 17,728
Prior Year Adjustments (Note 6) / 300 / (120)
Surplus/(Deficit) for the Year / 267 / 402
Funds / Balance carried forward / 18,577 / 18,010

BALANCE SHEET as at 30th June 2017

ANALYSIS OF ACTIVITIES

2017 / 2016
£ / Income / Expenditure / Surplus/
(Deficit) / Surplus/
(Deficit)
Ordinary Activities and Review / 9,030 / (18,083) / (9,053) / (7,120)
Donations Made (note 3) / 0 / (4,000) / (4,000) / (17,250)
Study Days and Visits / 11,677 / (11,407) / 270 / 2,897
Study Tours / 21,481 / (20,244) / 1,237 / 4,911
Short Courses / 33,184 / (21,371) / 11,813 / 16,964
Overall / 75,372 / (75,105) / 267 / 402

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017

Accounting convention

The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost convention. Income is brought into the accounts only when banked. Goods and services donated to the Society are not recorded in these accounts. Administrative Expenditure paid for by the Society’s officers is reimbursed from the Society’s bank account.

Notes

1. Overseas Tours are now organised using a Travel Agent to provide ABTA and ATOL cover, so only a portion of the income and costs are managed through the accounts of the Society. The Society gains if there is a surplus on the Tour and funds any shortfall.
2. Income. This includes a one-off anonymous donation of £500.
3. Donationswere made to the Birkbeck Department of Art History Research Fund (£2,000) and to The Sir John Soane Museum (£2,000)
4. Prepayments We prepaid a deposit of £1,650 for work to be done in 2017-18 on the development of a new website. Deposits were paid to book accommodation for various Study Events.
5. CreditorsAllowance has been made for the payment due to the Independent Reviewer (£200).
6. Prior Year Adjustment An allowance (£300) made to pay a bill for some technical support work in 2015-16 was not required as the work was not done.

INDEPENDENT REVIEWER’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE LONDON ART HISTORY SOCIETY

We report on the financial statements of The London Art History Society on pages 4 to 6 for the year ended 30 June 2017.

Basis of report

Our examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by The London Art History Society and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a “true and fair view” and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent Examiner’s Statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to our attention;

(i)Which gives us reasonable cause to believe that proper accounting records have not been kept and that the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the accounting records.

(ii)To which, in our opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Independent Reviewer…………………………………. G Dolphin FCCA

On Behalf of GHD Finance Ltd

8 Huxtable Rise, Harley Goodacre, Worcester WR4 0NX

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