Building From 1893 To 1960

Imperial Institute

Established in 1887 to promote research that would benefit the British Empire. From 1893 it was housed in a building in Exhibition Road, designed by T. E. Collcutt. This was demolished in the 1950s/60s to make space for Imperial College. The Imperial Institute was renamed the Commonwealth Institute and moved into a building in Holland Park. The Library Time Machine has some marvellous pictures of the interior of both Institutes: the Imperial and the Commonwealth.

The 1959 film 'The Rough and the Smooth'/'Portrait of a Sinner' has a scene set at the entrance to this building, at about 52 mins. You see two of the lions and a highly ornate entrance area.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Imperial Institute

Commemorated ati

Imperial Institute lions

Of the four lions that used to flank the entrance to the Imperial Institute t...

Queen's Tower - IC

The stone was laid only 14 days into her 51st year so we're taking this as a ...

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Other Subjects

Margaret Walker

Acting school director. She worked with Joan Littlewood in the Theatre Workshop at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, which inspired her to found the East 15 Acting School in Loughton, Essex.

Person, Education, Theatre

1 memorial

Florence Keen

Founder of the North Islington Infant Welfare Centre and School for Mothers in Holloway in 1913. At that time, around 10% of children in Islington died before their fifth birthday. She and her coll...

Person, Community / Clubs, Education

3 memorials

Masaru Inoue

Became a student at UCL in 1863.

Person, Education, Japan

1 memorial

Kaoru Inoue

Became a student at UCL in 1863.

Person, Education, Japan

1 memorial

Royal Mathematical School

Initiated by Sir Robert Clayton who had read about the French schools of navigation. He persuaded King Charles II to support the UK equivalent as part of Christ's Hospital. "Samuel Pepys in the Adm...

Group, Education

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Japanese Garden - Holland Park

W8, Holland Park

Another plaque, further along the path reads: The Empress and I, as well as so many of our people, were deeply moved by the immediate res...

4 subjects commemorated, 2 creators

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Thomas Hardy

Novelist and poet, best known for his novels set in rural 'Wessex' such as Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Far from the Madding Crowd. Born Upper Bockhampton, Dorset. Before turning to writing full-t...

Person, Literature, Poetry, Seriously Famous

3 memorials