Aeolian Hall in New Bond Street
Aeolian Hall in New Bond Street
Record No
141602
Title
Aeolian Hall in New Bond Street
Description
View looking west, showing the front elevation of the Aeolian Hall at 135-137 New Bond Street, Mayfair. Built in 1876 for amateur artist, Sir Coutts Lindsay, to designs by William Thomas Sams at a cost of £30,000, the building began life as the Grosvenor Gallery and in 1883 was lit entirely by electricity. The builders were G. H. & A. Bywater. It was renamed the Aeolian Hall in 1903 after the company who manufactured and sold pianolas from the premises and as a showroom for their musical instruments. The former main art gallery was converted into an auditorium where classical concerts were performed. In March 1943 the BBC took over the premises to record and broadcast radio concerts, including several performed by The Beatles in the early 1960s. Following the BBC's departure in the mid 1970s, the hall remained empty until the late twentieth century, when it was converted to a high-end retail emporium. The building has five storeys and is three bays wide. Two ground-floor shops can be seen with a central doorway flanked by fluted Ionic columns. Signs for "BBC" can be seen above the entrance and within are posters advertising, "Morning Listening on Radio 2" together with Views of BBC broadcasters, Pete Murray and Frank Muir. Within a pediment above can be seen a carved musical motif of a lyre and several horns. There is a blind balcony at second-floor level and a decorative frieze above. A balustrade can be seen at roof level. The building is faced with Portland stone. The shop to the left is trading as, "Junex Manshop", where dressed mannequins can be seen in the window, lit by spotlights above. There is a hanging sign outside advertising the business. The shop to the right is trading as, "Iran Air". There are two posters in the windows together with a hanging sign advertising the business. Two circular motifs are visible; one with Arabic writing on it and the other with a view of a winged animal. The building is Grade II listed; listing number 1266793. A litter bin with several letter "L"s is in view together with blurred views of pedestrians and a passing car. To the extreme left can be seen a car emerging from the narrow Bloomfield Place, which has a height restriction notice above.
Date of execution
1974
Section
The London Archives
Collection
LCC Photograph Library
Medium
photograph
Catalogue No
SC_PHL_01_496_74_20753
London picture map location
Exact
Subjects
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