Originally set up in 1863 by the Reverend John Curwen for the purpose of printing sheet music the Curwen Press had, by the 1920s, become a revolutionary design force in typography and illustration, commissioning work from such artists as Eric Ravilious, Paul Nash and Edward Bawden.

The 1930s saw artists working directly on lithographic stones and plates, creating a revival of interest in lithography to produce original work as limited-edition prints. By the 1950s interest in the medium was beginning to take off and so the Curwen Studio was created in 1958 to provide a new professional environment for experiments in printmaking continuing in the tradition of excellence originally set by its predecessor The Curwen Press. 

The Curwen Studio moved from London in 1989 to new larger rural premises in Cambridgeshire by its new owner Sam Alper OBE who, with Stanley Jones, also set up a charity The Curwen Print Study Centre in 1991 to ensure that facilities for Fine Art Printmaking continue to exist for future generations. It opened its doors in 2000 and is now occupying bespoke new studios and galleries in Great Thurlow, Suffolk.

Stanley Jones OBE was the pioneering artist-printer at The Curwen Studio from its inception and worked closely with major artists of the day including Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, John Piper, Elisabeth Frink, Ceri Richards, Patrick Heron and Terry Frost.