East London architectural plans held by the V&A Theatre Collections
by the V & A
Frank Matcham
Francis (Frank) Matcham was one of the most prolific theatre architects of all time. Born in Devon in 1854, he was apprenticed to a local architect and to a quantity surveyor in London. In the 1870s he joined the firm of Jethro Thomas Robinson, theatre architectural adviser to the Lord Chamberlain, and subsequently married his employer's daughter. In 1878 he took over the practice on Robinson's death.
From 1879 to 1912 Matcham built or rebuilt over 150 theatres across Britain, and introduced innovations such as cantilevered galleries. His emphasis was on practicalities (maximising audiences and ensuring good sightlines) but he also created rich interiors in a variety of styles.
Examples of his theatre work include the Grand Opera House in Belfast, the Grand Theatre in Blackpool, the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, Richmond Theatre in Surrey, the Gaiety Theatre in Douglas (Isle of Man), the Hackney Empire, the Shepherd's Bush Empire, the London Palladium and, the London Coliseum. He also designed pubs, cinemas, hotels, the County Arcade in Leeds, and the Tower Ballroom and Circus in Blackpool. He died in 1920.
Frank Matcham material used for the ELTA project
All the plans for Hackney Empire, held by V&A Theatre Collections, have been included in the ELTA project (some photographed on both sides). The numbering on the plans relates to the inherited roll numbering system from Frank Matcham's practice. Hackney Empire was originally roll numbers 9A to H. There is no material in the Matcham archive relating to the original roll numbers, so the sequences may be incomplete.
Details of Hackney Empire plans
1901 - Working drawings, mainly ink on linen-backed cartridge paper, prepared for the original contract and signed by the contractor, F. and H.F. Higgs. The "contract set" drawings bear the Matcham office numbers 1 to 18 (lacking 10) and relate to the theatre, as originally designed, with a broad frontage to Mare Street. Revisions show the narrower frontage, more or less as built (28 items)
Ca. 1901 - Working drawings, in a variety of media, including ink on tracing cloth and pencil on tracing paper, relating to the "contract set". Includes a set of negatives closely matching the "contract set" (27 items)
Ca. 1901 - Working drawings in pencil and ink, on tracing paper, relating to the original contract. Includes drawings showing plaster ornament (6 items)
Ca. 1901 - Working drawings and prints in various media relating to the original contract. Includes designs for the auditorium ceiling and for the iron entrance and queue canopies. Some items have fragile tracing paper overlays, now detached (8 items)
1901 - Blueprints for the engineering work for the original contract. One drawing bears the stamp of consulting engineer E. Wingfield Bowles, others are by structural engineers Walter Jones and Sons (17 items)
Ca. 1900-1901 - Pre-contract drawings, in various media. Includes survey plans of the site and existing buildings, drawings of alterations to adjoining properties, designs for new shops, plans certified by the District Surveyor and tracings of Ordnance Survey maps (marked with the positions of licensed premises in preparation for a licensing application) (26 items)
1920-1937 - Working drawings and diagrams, including tracings and prints, relating to later works at the theatre. Includes designs for new cinema projection rooms, air handling equipment and exit stairs. Also, diagrams showing the positions of film projection ports. Many designs show alterations superimposed on earlier drawings (46 items)
Drawings for the Stratford Empire
The architectural drawings for Stratford Empire date to ca. 1898. One block plan drawn on linen, has been selected for the ELTA project. The original Frank Matcham roll number for Stratford Empire plans was 17.
Drawings for a proposed cinema, The Excelsior, Bethnal Green
The drawings for The Excelsior are undated (but pre-1921). Eleven have been selected for the ELTA project (some are photographed on both sides). These include tracings, drawings, and line drawings (some with colour), all for the proposed cinema at the Excelsior Hall and Baths. The original Frank Matcham roll numbers for the proposed cinema plans are 65 A and B.
Bertie Crewe
Bertie Crewe (d.1937) trained in Paris and London, where as a young man he was a frequent visitor to Frank Matcham's home. Crewe became known as one of the most prolific architects of his day, specialising entirely in theatres, and later cinemas. Between them, he and his contemporaries W.G.R. Sprague and Thomas Verity were responsible for the majority of the theatres and variety palaces of the building boom of 1885 to 1915.
In 1888 he assisted Walter Emden with the Royal Court Theatre on Sloane Square, and collaborated with Sprague to rebuild the Lincoln Theatre Royal (1893) and the Olympic (1890). His most notable projects included the Sadlers Wells remodelling of 1901, the Lyceum alterations of 1904, and the construction of the Prince's (later renamed the Shaftesbury).
Further London theatres included: the Standard Theatre, the Stoll, the Golders Green Hippodrome, the Piccadilly, the Phoenix and the Saville. Outside London he was responsible for the Birmingham Hippodrome, the Dublin Coliseum, the Glasgow Pavillion, and the Manchester Palace, among others.
Bertie Crewe material used for the ELTA project
Seven architectural drawings for proposed alterations to the Standard Theatre have been used for the ELTA project. These consist of plans at cellar, pit, circle, balcony, and gallery level, a longitudinal section, and an elevation to George Street.
C.D. Power
Charles Daniel Power was born on 16 November 1882. When he left school he was apprenticed to Mr Blackburn of Queen Anne's Gate for three years. Once he qualified he worked in the Architects Department of the London County Council. At this time he was also a student at the Slade School of Art. In 1906 he went on a six month architectural tour of Italy, with Heaton Comyn, architect for the Drapers' Company.
Following this trip he went on stage, from 1907 to 1911, acting in drama and musical comedy. He then returned to work at London County Council, as an architect, until he volunteered for the Royal Engineers in January 1915. After the battle of the Somme he was sent back to England suffering from trench fever. When he retired at the age of 65 he began his hobby of drawing and copying plans of London theatres and music halls. He died on 29 October 1965.
C.D. Power material used for the East London Theatre Archive project
Nearly all of Charles Power's drawings appear to be copies of originals submitted to the London County Council as the safety and licensing authority for the theatres.
Britannia Theatre, Hoxton Street, N1
Plans of the Britannia Theatre, at ground floor level. Originals undated. Copies drawn 1935 (3 items).
Cripplegate Institute, Golden Lane, EC1
Section of plans at stage and dressing room level. Plans at basement, stage, switchboard, flies, grid, and top floor and roof levels. Originals undated. Copies drawn 1948 (6 items).
Dalston Theatre, Roseberry Place, Dalston, E8
Plan of Dalston Theatre. Original undated. Copy drawn 1960 (1 item).
Garrick Theatre, Leman Street, Whitechapel, EC2
Two plans of the Garrick Theatre on one sheet, as existing in 1880, at pit and stalls, and balcony levels. Annotated with, "traced from an old plan dated 1880, by C Power." Copy drawn 1950s-1960s? (1 item).
Pavilion Theatre, Whitechapel Road, E1
Plan of the Pavilion Theatre, at ground floor level, includes site plan. Original undated. Copy drawn 1950s-1960s? (1 item).
Standard Theatre, Shoreditch High Street, E1
Plan of the Standard Theatre, as existing in 1899, at street level. Copy drawn 1950s-1960s (1 item).
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East London Theatre Archive
