Plaque

(lost) People's Palace

Inscription

This building was erected in 1936 as the People's Palace. It was opened by King George VI on February 13, 1937, being His Majesty's first public engagement as King. It replaced the former Queen's Hall of the People's Palace, which was opened by Queen Victoria on May 14, 1887 and was destroyed by fire in 1931.

The People's Palace became part of Queen Mary College in 1954 and was named the Queens' Building by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Chancellor of the University of London, on June 5, 1956. It now contains the Great Hall of Queen Mary and Westfield College.

The original People's Palace, built between 1887 and 1892, provided facilities for recreation, culture, amusement, sport, training and education for the people of East London.

The panels in low relief on the front of the building are by Eric Gill and depict Drama, Music, Fellowship, Dance, Sport and Recreation.

The plaque names only 6 relief panels but there are 7, music being represented twice.

Site: People's Palace (1 memorial)

E1, Mile End Road, Queen Mary College

Within a few months of us first spotting this plaque our colleague, Alan Patient, told us it has gone missing, September 2010.

Good photographs of the relief panels, by Eric Gill, are available at the splendid Ornamental Passions.

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
People's Palace

Subjects commemorated i

People's Palace

Proposed by Walter Besant, the first People's Palace was built by the Beaumon...

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This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
People's Palace

Created by i

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother

In 1923 Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (descended from the Royal House of Scotland...

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King George VI

Became king when his brother, Edward VIII, abdicated. Like his father George ...

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Eric Gill

Sculptor. Born Brighton. One of thirteen children of a clergyman, he remained...

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Queen Victoria

Reigned: 1837-1901, 64 years. Born Kensington Palace. Daughter of Edward, Duk...

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