Blog Archives - The Streatham Society

"Nipper" and James Hough

31/5/2023

On the 31st May 1899 a painting of a small dog listening to a phonograph was shown to the general manager of 'The Gramophone Company' in London, by the painter, Francis Barraud.

'His Master's Voice', a picture of his dog Nipper listening to an Edison cylinder phonograph (in Kingston-upon Thames); he offered it to the Edison Bell Company, whose chairman James Hough turned it down, saying 'Dogs don't listen to phonographs.'

The Gramophone Company paid £50 for the picture and £50 for the copyright, on condition that he paint a gramophone over the phonograph; it hangs in the EMI London office today and has become one of the most famous trademarks in the world

James E Hough was a resident of "St Albans", formerly "The Elms" in Streatham Hill. He died in 1925

Consulting the Oracle

31/5/2023

This article appeared in the Illustrated London News 31 May 1884. "Consulting the Oracle" by JW Waterhouse purchased by Sir Henry Tate and presented by Sir Henry Tate to the Tate Gallery 1894

Article Image © Illustrated London News Group and Image of painting released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

Beatrice Cave-Brown-Cave

30/5/2023

Beatrice Cave-Brown-Cave was born On This Day 30th May 1874. The family lived at the "Burnage" Streatham Common North. She taught at Streatham and Clapham high School.

Beatrice Cave-Browne-Cave was educated at home and was blessed with siblings around her who shared her passion for mathematics. She would eventually go up to Girton in 1895 and come away in 1899, having been placed in the Third Class in Part II of the Mathematics Tripos, perhaps, with hindsight, a rather modest indication of her mathematical potential.

She immediately took one of the few options open to female mathematicians and became a teacher at Clapham High School, but it would be an opening at UCL just before war began that would launch Cave-Browne-Cave’s career in mathematics.

Her sister Frances was employed as a mathematics lecturer at Girton, but had established a concurrent working relationship with Karl Pearson in London and so likely played somepart in Beatrice’s appointment. Beatrice’s initial work was statistical in nature but, as the War intensified and much to Pearson’s work, she took an opportunity to earn more money by working at the Admiralty on aircraft tail loading analysis and the study of aircraft oscillations.

Source: Open University The impact of the women of the Technical Section of the Admiralty Air Department on the structural integrity of aircraft

Bobb Willis

30/5/2023

The cricketer Bob Willis was born On This Day 30 May 1949

He played 90 tests for England, including 18 as captain, and took 325 wickets, the most famous of them when beating Australia in 'Botham's Test' of 1981. After retiring in 1984 he turned to broadcasting, first for the BBC and then for Sky.

In an article in the Independent he speaks about his time living in Thornton Ave Streatham where he shared a flat with Sky Sports commenter Martin Tyler.

https://www.independent.co.uk/.../how-we-met-bob-willis...

Louise Michel

29/5/2023

Louise Michel was born On This Day 29 May 1830 –A teacher and important figure in the Paris Commune. Following her penal transportation to New Caledonia she embraced anarchism.

Lived at a number of locations in south London including 53 Dahomey Road Streatham.

Nanette Newman

29/5/2023

Nanette Newman was born On This Day 29 May 1934 - an English actress and author who lived at Pullman Court.

She appeared in nine films directed by her husband Bryan Forbes, including Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964), The Whisperers (1967), Deadfall (1968), The Stepford Wives (1975) and International Velvet (1978) for which she won the Evening Standard Film Award for Best Actress. She was also nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for another Forbes directed film, The Raging Moon (1971).

In the 1940s, she lived in Pullman Court, Streatham Hill. She was educated at Sternhold College, the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts stage school and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Streatham Tote

28/5/2023

A Streatham Tote Office - Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News On This Day 28 May 1932
(Thanks Angie Boon)

Kirkstall Road Estate

28/5/2023

Kirkstall Road Estate Telford Avenue Streatham Hill - Norwood News On This Day 28 May 1926
(Thanks Angie Boon)

Mervyn Stockwood

27/5/2023

Arthur Mervyn Stockwood was born On This Day 27 May 1913 . Bishop of Southwark, retiring 1980. He lived at Bishop's House, the official residence of the Bishop of Southwark in Tooting Bec Gardens , Streatham.
Image by Godfrey Argent NPG x38817 ©National Portrait Gallery

Bowls at Streatham Constitution Club

27/5/2023

7Bowls players from Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand versus Streatham Constitutional Club On This Day 27 May 1907.

The Constitution club moved to Leigham Court Road

(Photo by Wayland of Streatham)

Next Meeting

The latest edition of our newsletter - 258, Winter 2024 is now available and being delivered to local addresses and posted to other areas

Our next event is a paid-up members' Christmas party. Public talks will resume in January 2025 with a talk on the 7th January by Phil Emery on Music at the Crystal Palace.

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