As part of the Open House Festival, learn about the history of Regent Street Cinema and its connection with the University of Westminster.
About the tour and talks
Drop in on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September, with hourly talks from 10am–3pm. The last talk will commence at 2pm. No booking is required.
The talk will focus on the fascinating history of this building: from magic lantern shows in the 1840s and patriotic Our Navy films at the turn of the 20th century, to X-rated film screenings in the 1950s and a 1970s polytechnic lecture theatre; before its transformation in 2015 as an independent, state-of-the-art space for the cinematic arts.
About Regent Street Cinema
The University of Westminster was one of the first polytechnics in the UK. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was established to educate the working people of London, regardless of background or financial status. Housed within the building is the Regent Street Cinema, the birthplace of British cinema, where the first public premiere of film in the UK by the Lumière brothers using the Cinématographe, took place in 1896. The cinema also houses a Compton organ that gave sound to silent films.
Location
307 Regent Street, London W1B 2HW
More information
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