Passmore Edwards Public Library, Shepherd's Bush
| Passmore Edwards Public Library | |
|---|---|
 Passmore Edwards Library, Shepherds Bush | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Former Library, now a theatre |
| Architectural style | Victorian. |
| Location | Shepherd's Bush |
| Address | Uxbridge Road, London W12 |
| Town or city | London |
| Country | England |
| Current tenants | The Bush Theatre Co |
| Construction started | 1895 |
| Completed | 25 June 1896 |
| Client | Hammersmith Library Commissioners |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Timber frame, brick. |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Maurice Bingham Adams |
The Passmore Edwards Public Library on the Uxbridge Road, Shepherd's Bush, London, was built in 1895 and funded by the journalist and philanthropist Passmore Edwards. It is one of a number of public libraries that still bear his name today.[1] In 2008 a new library was built in Shepherd's Bush, part of the substantial Westfield London development, and the Passmore Edwards library fell into disuse. In October 2011 it re-opened as the new home of the Bush Theatre.
History
[edit]Designed by Maurice Bingham Adams, and originally known as the Passmore Edwards Free Library Hammersmith,[2] the project was one of many public libraries built around the end of the nineteenth century by John Passmore Edwards (1823 – 1911).[3][4] Edwards was a British journalist, newspaper owner and philanthropist. The son of a carpenter, he was born in Blackwater, a small village between Redruth and Truro in Cornwall, United Kingdom.
Maurice Bingham Adams designed five of the Libraries funded by Passmore Edwards. He and Edwards shared a belief in self-help and the importance of good architecture, which would provide the educational institutions required to educate the British working man and help give Britain a competitive edge.[5]
The library was built in 1895, when Shepherd's Bush was still largely open land, but in the process of being developed to house London's expanding suburbs. A foundation stone, laid by Passmore Edwards, bears the date 4 July 1895. The library was opened by Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery on 25 June 1896.[6]
Many of Shepherd's Bush's new inhabitants were poor and badly educated. In the early 20th century Irish labourers sought work and opportunities in London; their arrival in the capital created fears of urban slums and the spread of disease.[7] At the turn of the century Hammersmith MP Sir William Bull was appalled to see Shepherd's Bush Green become home to destitute unemployed sleeping rough, gambling, and playing pitch and toss.[8]
Today
[edit]In October 2011 the library re-opened as the new home of the Bush Theatre.[9] The building is currently included on the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham's list of Buildings of Merit, deserving of protection.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- Denny, Barbara, Hammersmith and Shepherd's Bush Past, Historical Publications Ltd, London (1995), ISBN 0-948667-32-X
- Farrell, Jerome, Hammersmith and Shepherd's Bush in Old Photographs, Sutton Publishing Ltd (Sep 1995)
Notes
[edit]- ^ p.5, Walking the Tube - the Hammersmith & City Line Retrieved November 2011
- ^ www.passmoreedwards.org.uk Retrieved November 2011
- ^ ODNB article by A. J. A. Morris, ‘Edwards, John Passmore (1823–1911)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, May 2006 [1], accessed 15 Nov 2007.
- ^ "EDWARDS, John Passmore". Who's Who. Vol. 59. 1907. p. 541.
- ^ Adams at www.passmoreedwards.org Retrieved November 2011
- ^ Report of the Chief Librarian for the year ending 31st March 1902. London: Metropolitan Borough of Hammersmith. 1902. pp. 8–9.
- ^ Panayi, Panikos, p.144, Immigration, Ethnicity, and Racism in Britain, 1815-1945 Retrieved December 2011
- ^ Denny, p.49
- ^ www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk Retrieved November 2011
- ^ Market Regeneration Brief, 2010 Archived 2014-11-29 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved January 2012
External links
[edit]- John Passmore Edwards 1823-1911 His life and Philanthropic works Retrieved November 2011