Now You See It, Now You Don’t

One of the most interesting things about looking at photographs of our local communities is noticing how they have changed over time and spotting what buildings have been newly built or demolished, sparking debate and bringing back memories.

It is not only photographs which can help us to find out how buildings once looked. Auction catalogues and sale particulars are also valuable for recording details of buildings, especially those which are illustrated with plans and drawings. One of our largest series of auction catalogues can be found in the records of Stephenson and Alexander, a local firm of auctioneers and chartered surveyors.

A sale catalogue for the Theatre Royal and Silver Cinema in Barry is particularly eye-catching with the front cover showing the Theatre Royal in 1922 (ref. DSA/6/575). 

What is particularly poignant is that the Theatre has since been demolished.  Both the Theatre Royal and the Silver Cinema were offered together as one lot in the sale which was to take place at an auction at the Grand Hotel in Birmingham, along with another Silver Cinema building in Worcester, also since demolished.

The catalogue describes that the Theatre and the Cinema were run as a joint concern in Barry with ‘pictures’ being shown in both, but that for 15 to 16 weeks a year the Theatre Royal ran ‘high-class’ attractions such as grand and light opera.

The Theatre Royal, Barry, had been built in 1909 and was used as a cinema until 2008.  The catalogue gives us wonderful details of how the building looked in its prime. Details are given of its internal furnishings and decor, from the ‘tip-up plush upholstered seats’ in the orchestra stalls to the rows of wooden seating in ‘The Pit’ to seat 550. It was decorated with ‘great taste’ with blue walls and white cornice and frieze and Chinese pattern wall paper.  The Theatre was obviously fitted with all the latest technology as the catalogue tells us that the ‘telephone instrument’ was installed in the pay box.

The Silver Cinema building still stands in Barry, though greatly changed from its appearance in 1922 and now housing a snooker hall.  The catalogue tells us that when it was offered for sale it had seating for 1,033 in the main hall, balcony and boxes.  It had been completely rebuilt the year before and was ‘one of the finest cinemas in the Principality’.  It certainly had a plush interior and the internal decor featured two painted panels of Porth Kerry Park, Barry.

You can find out more about the sales particulars within the Stephenson and Alexander Collection on our catalogue http://calmview.cardiff.gov.uk/.