Minutes of meetings of the Council, including the following selected entries: the decision not to accept an invitation from the President of the Royal British Society of Sculptors to join a protest to the Government about the Arts Council, from a concern to maintain the Royal Academy’s impartiality and independence, although Council acknowledged that there was great deal of substance in the criticism, 16 April - 22 May 1956; discussion of a letter from
Sir Gerald Kelly criticising the Hanging Committee for including two portraits, both by an Associate, which he felt were far below the standard required for the summer exhibition, 3 - 22 May 1956; and minutes of a meeting held to discuss changes to the administration of the Chantrey Bequest, by which the Tate Gallery lost its effective power of veto over purchased works, 16 July 1956.