London School of Printing and Kindred Trades

London College of Communication (LCC) (formerly the London School of Printing and Graphic Arts and then London College of Printing and, briefly, London College of Printing and Distributive Trades) is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, located in Elephant and Castle. Natalie Brett is Head of College. It has approximately 5,000 students on almost 50 courses in media, design and screen preparing students for careers in the creative industries. Courses cover diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate level. Multi-media convergence now influences LCC’s specialist areas, including graphic design and advertising, photography, film and animation, journalism, publishing and public relations, sound arts and design and interactive and spatial design. LCC is made up of three specialist schools, Design School, Media School and, as of 2017, Screen School, all based at its Elephant and Castle site.

In 1894 the Saint Bride Foundation Institute Printing School opened in Saint Bride Lane as a social, educational and cultural centre, housing both a technical library and printing school to provide tuition for local printers and students. At the same time another of LCC's forebears, the Guild and Technical School, opened in Clerkenwell Road, moving the follow year to 6 Bolt Court. It became the Bolt Court Technical School and was rebuilt in 1911. It was renamed London County Council School of Photo-Engraving and Lithography.

In 1921 the Westminster Day Continuation School opened, becoming the School of Retail Distribution 1929. The class about to graduate in 1939 were called up and sent back to the Stamford Street building where they spent the war years making glass scale graticule to fit into various types of optical gunsights, submarine periscope lenses and the like.

In 1949 Bolt Court and the London School of Printing merged forming the London School of Printing and Graphic Arts. In 1962 this was renamed the London College of Printing (LCP) and moved to a new campus at Elephant & Castle. The North Western Polytechnic (now London Metropolitan University) printing department merged with LCP in 1969.

In 1985 the London Institute was formed and had taught degree awarding powers approved by Privy Council in 1993 with research degree awarding powers in 2002.