Festival of Britain entrance in Chicheley Road
More information
Title
Festival of Britain entrance in Chicheley Road
Festival of Britain entrance in Chicheley Road
Reference
SC_PHL_01_260_51_634 (Collage 91678)
Date
Collection
London Metropolitan Archives: LCC Photograph Library
Description
View of Festival of Britain entrance in Chicheley Street, Waterloo and of York Road looking north, with the Festival of Britain site behind the perimeter fence. To the left of Chicheley Street gate is the Minerals of the Island Pavilion. Many people are walking in the plaza, and three kiosks with six-sided roofs are next to the perimeter fence. On the corner of York Road and Griffin Street is the Duke of York pub advertising Reid's Stout. This is part of a three-storey terrace with shops on the ground floor, one with piles of trunks and suitcases on the pavement. On the east side of York Road is an Underground sign, and behind this a vacant plot enclosed by advertising hoardings. Buildings on this site were destroyed in a V1 rocket attack on the 23rd June 1944 killing three people and injuring 48. This site is occupied by a mixed office and retail building, and the Chicheley Road site by high rise offices. There are vehicles in York Road, mostly Black Cabs, and many pedestrians. The Festival of Britain was a nationwide event that took place in the summer of 1951. Originally intended to mark the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851, it became a way to celebrate Britain and its achievements rather than including international themes. The construction of the Festival on its flagship South Bank site required the demolition of the industrial and residential buildings between Waterloo Bridge and County Hall. After the Festival, the South Bank site was cleared of all festival infrastructure except the Royal Festival Hall on the orders of Winston Churchill, who saw the Festival as a beacon for socialist ideas.
View of Festival of Britain entrance in Chicheley Street, Waterloo and of York Road looking north, with the Festival of Britain site behind the perimeter fence. To the left of Chicheley Street gate is the Minerals of the Island Pavilion. Many people are walking in the plaza, and three kiosks with six-sided roofs are next to the perimeter fence. On the corner of York Road and Griffin Street is the Duke of York pub advertising Reid's Stout. This is part of a three-storey terrace with shops on the ground floor, one with piles of trunks and suitcases on the pavement. On the east side of York Road is an Underground sign, and behind this a vacant plot enclosed by advertising hoardings. Buildings on this site were destroyed in a V1 rocket attack on the 23rd June 1944 killing three people and injuring 48. This site is occupied by a mixed office and retail building, and the Chicheley Road site by high rise offices. There are vehicles in York Road, mostly Black Cabs, and many pedestrians. The Festival of Britain was a nationwide event that took place in the summer of 1951. Originally intended to mark the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851, it became a way to celebrate Britain and its achievements rather than including international themes. The construction of the Festival on its flagship South Bank site required the demolition of the industrial and residential buildings between Waterloo Bridge and County Hall. After the Festival, the South Bank site was cleared of all festival infrastructure except the Royal Festival Hall on the orders of Winston Churchill, who saw the Festival as a beacon for socialist ideas.
<a href="view-item?i=93953" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">View this item on the London Picture Archive for further options including print and digital sales.</a>
View this item on the London Picture Archive for further options including print and digital sales.
License
Copyright London Metropolitan Archives, all rights reserved. Provided for research purposes only. For commercial and other uses please contact us via
support@londonpicturearchive.org.uk
Attribution
London Metropolitan Archives. Please cite document title, reference and collection.