We are delighted to announce a meaningful homecoming to The College of Psychic Studies: We welcome to our collection more than 300 exquisite drawings, paintings and sketches by pre-Raphaelite artist, feminist and pioneering Spiritualist Anna Mary Howitt Watts (15 January 1824 - 23 July 1884).
If you have explored the exhibition rooms at The College of Psychic Studies, you will recognise Anna Mary Howitt Watts' delicate drawings and jewel-coloured paintings depicting otherworldly botanicals and celestial beings.
Her artworks have been a treasure in our collection for more than a century and are an enduring favourite of alumni and visitors alike. Now, adding 10 portfolios of Anna's original art, each packed full of treasures, we have many more of her sublime works to share with you in some exciting future projects.
In 1856, Anna Mary Howitt Watts became Britain's first drawing medium, creating spirit-guided artworks using the technique of automatism. However, this is not the only reason this pioneering mediumistic artist is so important to The College of Psychic Studies. Anna was a founding member of the College (then the London Spiritualist Alliance). She died, aged 60, from diphtheria just a few weeks after the College's first President, William Stainton Moses, delivered his inaugural speech in 1884. In perfect symmetry, we acquire this magnificent collection of Anna's works on this, the bi-centenary of her birth year.
The acquisition of this wonderfully comprehensive collection would not have been possible without the earnest efforts of the College Principal, Gill Matini, and the College Archivist and Curator, Vivienne Roberts. Gill and Vivienne, thank you for bringing this extraordinary collection of Anna Mary Howitt Watts' works to The College of Psychic Studies, and for enriching our growing archive for generations to come.
Anna Mary Howitt Watts, welcome home!
Eager to see the new artworks by Anna Mary Howitt Watts? Stay tuned for announcements on The College of Psychic Studies' centenary celebrations in 2025, marking 100 years at our current address, 16 Queensberry Place.
