# Edinburgh Smashers Club

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The **Smashers Club** was a drawing club created in Edinburgh in 1848 by a small group of artists, almost all of whom went on to national fame and recognition.[1][2]

The founding members were [William Fettes Douglas](/source/William_Fettes_Douglas), [William Crawford](/source/William_Crawford_(artist)), [Thomas Faed](/source/Thomas_Faed), [John Faed](/source/John_Faed), [James Archer](/source/James_Archer_(artist)) and [John Ballantyne](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Ballantyne_(artist)&action=edit&redlink=1).[3][4] As all members lived in the [Second New Town](/source/New_Town%2C_Edinburgh) or nearby [Comely Bank](/source/Comely_Bank) areas in Edinburgh, it is presumed they probably met in this area. Members refer to the club being akin to [John Dowie's College](/source/John_Dowie's_Tavern), an affectionate name for a tavern in the [Old Town](/source/Old_Town%2C_Edinburgh) which had been demolished three decades earlier but which had a reputation as a meeting place for the artistic community. This implies they met in a bar, but is unclear which one. The club name implies a degree of alcohol consumption.[5]

In 1863, largely due to relocation of the members, the club removed to [London](/source/London) and renamed itself the Auld Lang Syne Sketching Club: open to Scottish artists living in London. New members included [Erskine Nicol](/source/Erskine_Nicol), [John Stirling](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Stirling_(artst)&action=edit&redlink=1), [Andrew Maclure](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Andrew_Maclure&action=edit&redlink=1).[6]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["RSA ARCHIVES | The Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Scotland"](https://web.archive.org/web/20151009032930/http://www.royalscottishacademy.org/collections-archives/rsa-archives/). *www.royalscottishacademy.org*. Archived from [the original](https://www.royalscottishacademy.org/collections-archives/rsa-archives/) on 9 October 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Royal Scottish Academy Collections Department"](https://www.scottisharchives.org.uk/archives-map/royal-scottish-academy-collections-department/). 10 September 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["William Fettes Douglas - Kirkcudbright Galleries | Dumfries and Galloway | Artists | Gallery"](https://www.kirkcudbrightgalleries.org.uk/artists-footsteps/artist/william-fettes-douglas/).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["The Scottish School of Painting"](https://electricscotland.com/art/school18.htm).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [http://www.avictorian.com/Archer_James.html](http://www.avictorian.com/Archer_James.html)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["NPG 4840; Thomas Faed - Portrait Extended - National Portrait Gallery"](https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitExtended/mw02161/Thomas-Faed).

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Edinburgh Smashers Club](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_Smashers_Club) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_Smashers_Club?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.