Quick Search
|
Search Results
You searched for: More Like: 'Edwardian elegance - refurbishment'
27 items
items as
Guild Street
21 Guild Street, Aberdeen looking down towards the harbour, showing the Tivoli Theatre and Criterion Bar. The bar closed in 2012, but planning permission was granted to convert it to retail premises.
The Tivoli reopened in 2013 after major refurbishment, having been closed for a number of years. Guild Street
399 Guild Street looking towards the harbour.
On the left hand side of the road is the facade of Her Majesty's Theatre built in 1872. It was renamed the Tivoli in 1910. It was a popular theatre and many well-known performers appeared on its stage including W. C. Fields, Tony Hancock and Andy Stewart.
The Tivoli became a bingo hall in 1966 and finally closed its doors in 1997. However, following refurbishment, the Tivoli reopened in 2013.
The Criterion Bar is on the left of the photograph and the old Goods Station is on the right. The bandstand in Duthie Park in winter
1374 The bandstand was designed by William McKelvie, the architect responsible for designing the layout of Duthie Park, and was completed in 1893 at a cost of around £400. It has served as a stage for many concerts and recitals over the years. The railings of the bandstand were removed for the war effort, however, they were restored in the mid-1990s during a refurbishment. Aberdeen Central Library, Commercial Department 2004
1408 A final view of the Business and Technical Department in 2004 before it re-located to the Reference Department as part of a major refurbishment programme to develop the Central Library as a Centre for Library Excellence. Aberdeen Central Library, Commercial Department refurbishment 2004
1409 A last view of the now empty Business and Technical Department in 2004 before it underwent a complete refurbishment including extensive roof and ceiling repairs to the west wing of the building. Aberdeen Central Library, Local Studies Department
1440 Aberdeen Local Studies moved to a new home in the extension following the refurbishment of 1978-82. It was integrated back on to the main reference floor in 1990 and the extension area has since been used for a variety of purposes including study facilities, Aberdeen College Learning Centre outreach and the Business Information Service. Aberdeen Central Library, window replacement 2003
1446 All of the windows of Central Library were replaced during the period March 2003 to May 2004 as part of a refurbishment programme to develop the Central Library as a Centre for Library Excellence. They were re-painted in their original brown colour. The Wellington Suspension Bridge
1510 Aberdeen from Torry, showing the Wellington Suspension Bridge.
In 1799 a turnpike road was established between Aberdeen and Stonehaven and the Menzies of Pitfodels and the inheritors of the church at Nigg created the Wellington Suspension Bridge to capitalise on the opportunities offered by the new road.
The engineering of the bridge was carried out by Captain Samuel Brown and the architectural features designed by John Smith.
The bridge, which replaced the Craiglug Ferry, opened to pedestrians in November 1830 and full traffic six months later.
It required refurbishment in 1930 and then had to close to vehicles in 1984. In 2002 it was completely closed but after restoration it re-opened for pedestrians in 2008.
It is now a category A listed structure Crown Street
2285 Crown Street, c. 1910. The turretted gable building to the left is the General Post Office, architect W.T. Oldrieve, designer J.C. Wyness. The building was opened in 1907 with considerable fanfare by Mr. Sidney Buxton, the Postmaster General. It cost over 55,000 pounds. To the right and in the centre of the photograph can be noted another superb Edwardian ediface, the Prudential Building of Paul Waterhouse, 1910. In the centre of the picture can be seen the double set of tram lines, together with the overhead cables. Walford Bodie
2996 In the late-Victorian and Edwardian periods, at the height of music hall variety, Dr Walford Bodie M.D. was one of the most famous and highly paid entertainers in Britain.
He remains an enigmatic and charismatic figure in the history of the North East. Born Samuel Murphy Bodie at 33 George Street, Aberdeen on 11 June 1869, he was the son of a journeyman baker called William Bodie and his wife Margaret and received his education at Robert Gordon's College.
He went on to become a leading showman, hypnotist, ventriloquist, controversial 'bloodless surgeon' and was billed variously as The Electric Wizard, The Modern Miracle Worker of the North, and The Most Remarkable Man on the Earth.
At Aberdeen City Libraries we hold a family photograph album that offers an insight into the life and times of Bodie and his amazing family.
The inscription on this image reads "To Dear Nan with Fondest Love Sam". Aberdeen Theatres: His Majesty's Theatre
3356 Seating more than 1400, His Majesty's Theatre is the largest theatre in North-East Scotland and is now a category A listed building.
Situated on Rosemount Viaduct, it was designed by the architect Frank Matcham and costed £35,000. It was originally built as a replacement for the former Her Majesty's Theatre (now the Tivoli), meeting the need for a larger venue and better staging facilities.
Robert Arthur, the theatre impresario, submitted the plans for the new theatre in 1901. Construction started in 1904 and it opened on the 3rd December 1906 with a production of the pantomime Little Red Riding Hood, of which you will see the programme next in this exhibition. The pantomime played to a full house on its opening night and ran until the end of the year to great success.
Arthur's company presented plays, opera and pantomimes until 1912, when it ran out of funds. Robert Arthur Theatres Ltd. sold the theatre in 1923 to Walter Gilbert, managing director of the Tivoli Theatre. It changed hands again in 1932, after Gilbert's death, when it was bought by Councillor James F. Donald. The new owner refurbished the venue and introduced new features such as a revolving stage and a cinema projector.
In 1975, Aberdeen City council bought the venue, then allocated £3.5 million to give it a new life. After being closed for 23 months, His Majesty's Theatre was reopened on the 17th of September 1982 by Prince Charles.
In 2004, the theatre was once again closed for refurbishment. It reopened in 2005, renovated and modernised with a new green room, a coffee shop and re-upholstered seating. Aberdeen Theatres: Walford Bodie
3392 A profile photographic portrait of Aberdeen born magician and entertainer, Walford Bodie (1869-1939).
In the late-Victorian and Edwardian periods, at the height of music hall variety, Dr Walford Bodie M.D. was one of the most famous and highly paid entertainers in Britain.
He remains an enigmatic and charismatic figure in the history of the North East. Born Samuel Murphy Bodie at 33 George Street on 11th June 1869, he was the son of a journeyman baker called William Bodie and his wife Margaret and received his education at Robert Gordon's College.
He went on to become a leading showman, hypnotist, ventriloquist, controversial 'bloodless surgeon' and was billed variously as The Electric Wizard, The Modern Miracle Worker of the North, and The Most Remarkable Man on the Earth.
The medical profession questioned his qualifications and right to the title of doctor. He would respond that his qualifications were from the United States, a country at the forefront of medical science, though he once conceded that the M.D. following his name in fact stood for "Merry Devil".
This photograph comes from a family photograph album, originally owned by Annie "Nan" Henry, held by Aberdeen City Libraries. Point Law
3574 Image two of two, see GN15_08 for more details.
This photo is a high shot overlooking Point Law towards the warehouses on Commercial Quay.
The shot comes from the South East of the pier. A dock-scape lines the background. In the forefront are two vans from the North Eastern Welding Co., Ltd.
The dates of the vans (See GN15_08) implicates this photo was likely taken between the late 1920s and 1930s.
Behind the crane in the middle backdrop, the spire of St. Clements Church is visible. The church underwent an extensive refurbishment in 1924, making headlines in the 27th July Aberdeen Daily Journal. Treasure 69: Mrs Elmslie's Institution Plans by Archibald Simpson, 1837
269 Mrs Elmslie was one of a number of Victorian philanthropic benefactors sympathetic to the plight of those who were poor, neglected or homeless and on 19 November 1840, she opened the Aberdeen Female Orphan Asylum - known also as Mrs Elmslie's Institution - on 19 Albyn Place.
This lithograph shows the building as originally envisaged by architect Archibald Simpson with little gate-houses at either side of the street entrance. Aberdeen City Libraries hold a series of 14 plans of the granite building which have been bound together into a single volume. The collection includes elevations, sections and floor plans dated September 1837.
The Orphan Asylum closed its doors on 27 July 1891 and the remaining girls were transferred to the Girls' Home and School of Domestic Economy on King Street. The building was sold to the Aberdeen School Board for £4,500 and, after extensive additions and refurbishment, it became the new home of Aberdeen High School for Girls, renamed as Harlaw Academy in 1970.
Find out more about Mrs Elmslie and her Institution, including its rules and regulations, daily meals and class timetables, in the Treasures from our Collections exhibition on touchscreens in Central, Airyhall, Tillydrone and Mastrick libraries. Treasure 91: Aberdeen Art Gallery Ephemera
310 As the refurbishment of Aberdeen Art Gallery continues this is an opportunity to feature a selection of ephemera held in the Library collections reflecting some aspects of its history. The full history of the Gallery is documented in Jennifer Melville's book, Aberdeen Art Gallery - A History, published in 2010. The Aberdeen Daily Journal of 10 April 1905 described the opening of the handsome new Sculpture Gallery and the enlarged art galleries by distinguished artist Sir George Reid as "an important stage in an epoch-making period in the history of Aberdeen's connection with art". Sketches of the proposed new Sculpture Gallery appeared in the Aberdeen Daily Journal on 27 January 1903 but it was not until 8 April 1905 that the official opening took place. In the Library collections we hold a number of items which describe the events of that day. The Programme of Proceedings with its beautifully illustrated front cover gives the order of speeches and music selections for the occasion.
Find out more about the Art Gallery in the Treasures from our Collections interactive exhibition on the touchscreen. Treasure 113: Railway Station Plans
334 2017 marks the 150th anniversary of the main railway station in Aberdeen. One of our treasures this month is a plan which shows the siting of the original joint railway station and the beginning of the Denburn Valley Line.
This plan was published as a supplement to the Aberdeen Free Press and is dated May 29th 1863. The plan shows the proposed station and the surrounding area. The station and areas around it which require alteration are tinted in dark and light red. We can see that the plans involved the extension of Guild Street and the creation of access roads to the station so that it could be easily reached via a variety of approaches. Other features of note are the proposed tunnel earmarked for the Woolmanhill area and also the Scottish North Eastern Railway Station on Guild Street which indicates that the joint station was not the first station to be built in Aberdeen.
Aberdeen Joint Station was opened on the 4th November 1867 and a glowing report and detailed description of the new building can be found in the Aberdeen Journal: "it is truly a magnificent building; and its proportions are such as few stations in the three kingdoms will surpass in point of elegance." William Smith, city architect at the time, was the architect of the joint station and John Willet the engineer.
Learn more about the other stations of Aberdeen, now vanished, in the Treasures from our Collections digital exhibition on the touch screens. Treasure 120: Walford Bodie
343 In the late-Victorian and Edwardian periods, at the height of music hall variety, Dr Walford Bodie M.D. was one of the most famous and highly paid entertainers in Britain. He remains an enigmatic and charismatic figure in the history of the North East. Born Samuel Murphy Bodie at 33 George Street, Aberdeen on 11 June 1869, he went on to become a leading showman, hypnotist, ventriloquist, controversial 'bloodless surgeon', and was billed variously as The Electric Wizard, The Modern Miracle Worker of the North, and The Most Remarkable Man on Earth.
Our treasure is a photograph album held by Aberdeen City Libraries that offers an insight into the life and times of Bodie and his amazing family. Walford Bodie was for much of his career the headline performer of an extended and shifting company of artists. Members of his family, and in particular those of his wife, often played important roles in the Bodie Show. In 1890 Bodie married Jeannie Henry (1869-1931), who performed with Walford as an illusionist and mind-reader called Princess Rubie, until her retirement in 1930. Jeannie and 3 of her sisters went on to play important parts in the Bodie show. One of her sisters was Annie "Nan" Henry (1880-1970) and it is her album that we now hold in the library.
The album is a large volume, bound in dark green leather. Within floral endpapers there are around 101 pages each containing approximately 3 photographs. The images are a mixture of postcards and photographic prints. Most appear to have been sent to Nan Henry while she was living in the Bodie family home in Macduff. Many have signed endearments on the front and carry short messages on the reverse.
To learn more about this unique character, have a browse in the Treasures from our Collections interactive exhibition. Treasure 124: Queen Mother authograph
347 One of our final 125 treasures is a valued item from the Library Archive; the Visitor's Book containing the signature of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, dated October 20, 1982. The Library staff newsletter of December 1982 states that: "The highlight of our Autumn was undoubtedly the visit by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother to the Central Library on Wednesday 20 October." The purpose of the visit was to unveil a commemorative plaque in the new Lending Library to mark the completion of the extension and refurbishment of the building over a 4 year period. During her 45 minute tour, Her Majesty visited all the public departments and chatted to members of staff who were issued with a souvenir ticket for the event. Before leaving, Her Majesty signed the Visitors Book and was presented with a copy of "The old Deeside Road" by G.M. Fraser. Peter Grant was the City Librarian at this time and he oversaw the 4 year modernisation project and improved the public image of the library service. He held the position of City Librarian from 1973 until his retirement on 28 April 1989. Staff remember Peter as a quiet man who always found time to walk around the Library and speak to staff. He loved books and earned a personal reputation as an enthusiastic and well-informed book man. Following retirement he was a familiar figure in the Central Library. He died in April 2009.
Learn more about this royal visit in the Treasures from our Collections interactive exhibition on the touchscreen. |