Founded in a coffee shop in Covent Garden in 1754, the RSA was based in a number of locations in this area in its early years. Finally, in 1774, it moved to what remains our current home in John Adam Street. The House was designed for the Society by Robert Adam as part of the major Adelphi development undertaken by Adam and his brothers. Deeds and plans of the House are held as part of the RSA Archive. Later development and expansion means that the House now features striking modern designs in addition to carefully preserved original Georgian features. There are also paintings ranging from James Barry's remarkable sequence The Progress of Human Knowledge and Culture, commissioned for the Society's Great Room, to contemporary work on loan from the Arts Council Collection.