Tony Armstrong Jones

Anthony Armstrong Jones, the Earl of Snowdon, provost at the Royal College of Art from 1995 to 2003, has died at the age of 86. Familiarly referred to as 'Snowdon' he was publicly known as the ex-husband of the wayward Princess Margaret, and professionally known as a notable 'society photographer' who gave old school Cecil Beaton a run for his money. He is also renowned for designing the iconic and innovative 'Aviary' at London Zoo (1965). For many graduates and associates of the Royal College of Art he is remembered as their Provost - straddling the rectorships of Tony Jones, and Chris Frayling, having dodged the company of his old publisher friend Jocelyn Stevens - the disastrous and divisive rector of the RCA during the 1980s…

Being a practising professional photographer and architectural designer with a marked lack of (social) deference or adherence to stuffy "protocol", Armstrong Jones was well matched to the College and alongside Tony Jones, the rector at that time, the College was, for an all too brief period, led by creative practitioners…. 

The new millennium however brought in the monotonous commercialisation of higher education and the subsequent monetary slant of its 'governance' is reflected in the current incumbents. The halcyon days of the Royal College of Art as a very special 'art school' is a thing of the past… as is the techni-colourful life of Tony Armstrong Jones.

He was a very approachable person and transcended the protocols which were intended to separate him out…. He seemed at home in the arts and creative environment. This was evident in my recollections following a meeting of the RCA Court - held annually in December - I found myself chatting to Tony Armstrong Jones and Tony Jones (then rector)…. I couldn't resist pointing out that it looked like a 'gathering' of the Jones's… Tony Jones, Tony Armstrong Jones, and Jenni Boswell-Jones.