Plaque

Regent Street - first cinema in Britain

University of Westminster Regent Street - first cinema in Britain
Inscription

Commemorating the Centenary of Cinema 1996
In this hall the Lumière Cinématographe premiered to the press on 20th February 1896 and the next day gave the first cinema show to a paying audience in Britain.

The Lumières' friend, Felicien Trewey, a French music hall entertainer already popular in London, brought the Lumière Cinématographe machine to the hall at Regent Street Polytechnic for a 3-week booking, charging 1 shilling a ticket. A timeline for this cinema is give at Birthplace of Cinema. We've also heard that in 1951 this was the first cinema to show an X rated film.

2015: Londonist reports that the cinema has been restored and reopened as a cinema.

Site: University of Westminster (4 memorials)

W1, Regent Street, 309, University of Westminster

Formerly The (Regent Street) Polytechnic. The plaque for the first cinema is inside the hall and is not normally accessible except when the hall is in use. The other two plaques are on the Regent Street facade.  The University's Archive Services have produced a number of useful research guides for their different sites and facilities.

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Regent Street - first cinema in Britain

Subjects commemorated i

First cinema in Britain

It was in Regent Street that a film was first played to a paying audience in ...

Read More

Lumière Cinématographe

The Lumière Cinématographe was a machine for projecting moving pictures, inve...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Regent Street - first cinema in Britain

Also at this site i

George Cayley

George Cayley

George Cayley, engineer & inventor, established on this site The Royal Po...

Read More

Quintin Hogg at the Poly

Quintin Hogg at the Poly

Quintin Hogg, educator & Christian benefactor, expanded his work by found...

Read More

University of Westminster - Pink Floyd

University of Westminster - Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd Between 1962 - 1966, Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright ...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin

WC2, Craven Street, 36

Franklin lived here for two extended stays between 1757 and 1775. This is the only Franklin residence that survives. Due to the street ha...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Hindle House - WW2 - first plaque - first appearance

Hindle House - WW2 - first plaque - first appearance

E8, Arcola Street, Hindle House Community Centre

This is the story of a plaque that was lost and was mysteriously re-found, with pictures, before and after. Our thanks to Brian Longman f...

War dead, Civilian war dead | WW2
24 subjects commemorated, 3 creators
Winston Churchill - SW7

Winston Churchill - SW7

SW7, Hyde Park Gate, 28

Greater London Council Sir Winston Churchill K.G., 1874-1965, prime minister, lived and died here.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Piet Mondrian

Piet Mondrian

NW3, Parkhill Road, 60

Mondrian was in a rented room in this lodging house, with shared bathroom, 1938-40.  His room was on the ground floor, at the back.  The ...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Ken Livingstone

Ken Livingstone

SW16, Wellfield Road, 1 - 3, Leigham Arms pub

What's the expression? Oh, yes: "Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in these plaques are the author's own and do not necessarily repres...

1 subject commemorated