| Summary : Queen's Hall opened in 1893 and was the pre-eminent London concert hall until its destruction by an incendiary bomb on 10th May 1941. The building's exterior was said to be based on the Parthenon and its interior was decorated in the colours red and gold. Covering an area of 21,000 square feet, it could seat 3000 people in Queen's Hall and 500 in Queen's Small Hall. Alterations carried out in 1913 and 1919 reduced seating capacity to 2400. There were seventeen entrances and exits in total which opened onto Langham Place, Riding House Street and Great Portland Street. Queens Hall was the home of the Promenade Concerts and was known for its perfect acoustics.Since the late 19th century, Queen's Hall had been used for public meetings by women's suffrage societies. The Women's Social and Political Union held rallies and regular 'At Homes' here and the non-militant National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) used the hall for their Council meetings. In March 1918, it was the venue for the 'victory' celebrations organised by the NUWSS which marked the partial enfranchisement of women. |
More information : Queen's Hall was located on the east side of Langham Place, London, to the south of All Soul's Church. Opening in 1893, the building's exterior was said to be based on the Parthenon and its interior was decorated in the colours red and gold. There were two halls of different sizes and since the late 19th century they were used for public meetings organised by women's suffrage societies. In 1894 the Women's Franchise League held a meeting here and in 1899 it was the venue for the International Congress of Women. The Women's Social and Political Union held rallies and regular 'At Homes' at Queen's Hall and it was also used by the non-militant National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) for Council meetings in 1911. In March 1918, Queens Hall was the venue for the 'victory' celebrations organised by the NUWSS which marked which marked the enfranchisement of some women over the age of 30. (1)
This website contains historical information about Queen's Hall. There are also photographs of the interior and exterior, a ground floor plan and an illustration of the opening concert in 1893.
Covering an area of 21,000 square feet, it could seat 3000 people in Queen's Hall and 500 in Queen's Small Hall. Alterations carried out in 1913 and 1919 reduced seating capacity to 2400. There were seventeen entrances and exits in total which opened onto Langham Place, Riding House Street and Great Portland Street. Queens Hall was the home of the Promenade Concerts and was known for its perfect acoustics. It was the pre-eminent London concert hall until it was destroyed by a bomb on 10th May 1941. (2)
Please see TQ2897781524 on OS map dated 1916. This is the location of Queen's Hall. (3)
|