Blog Archives - The Streatham Society

Saloman van Abbe

31/7/2023

Saloman van Abbe was born 31 July 1883 Resident of Thornton and Moyser Roads Streatham . He was the Founder member of The Streatham Art Society and exhibited at the Royal Academy.

He was particularly well-known for his illustrations for re-issues of classic children’s novels such as Treasure Island, Little Women, Tom Brown’s Schooldays and the Jennings books

Christina McAnea- General Secretary of Unison

31/7/2023

Happy Birthday to Streatham-resident Christina McAnea born #OTD 31 July. A Scottish trade union leader from Glasgow she was elected as general secretary of Unison and is the first woman to head the UK’s largest union.

Henry Luff- Wisden and Co

30/7/2023

Croydon Guardian and Surrey County Gazette On This Day 30 July 1910 announcing the death and funeral at Streatham Cemetery of Harry Luff of 10 Christchurch Road leaving an estate of £36k. He was the owner of Wisden.

On Wisden’s death in 1884 the business passed to his manager, Henry Luff. The latter part of the nineteenth century saw a very large growth in the popularity of all games and sports. With this expansion there naturally came an increasing demand for all kinds of sports gear. Under Luff’s enterprising management the House of Wisden set out to satisfy the public’s needs, from boxing gloves to badminton, from fives to footballs. The firm has never lost its impetus. In the course of time several other businesses have become absorbed into its organisation. (Source Wisden)

Golden Domes Cinema

30/7/2023

On This Day 30th July 1934 the Golden Domes Cinema, Streatham High Road was showing Madame Spy.

The cinema opened in September 1912 as the Streatham Picture Theatre. One of 6 cinemas in Streatham and today the site of a gym .

The Streatham Picture Theatre was opened with 900 seats. The opening film was “Caesar Borgia”. The building had an impressive facade, with the entrance flanked by two bays, which were topped by large domes.

In October 1929, the cinema was enlarged to the plans of cinema architect John Stanley Beard and it was re-named Golden Domes Picture Theatre.

It was taken over by Associated British Cinemas(ABC) in August 1935. However, this was not to last very long, as ABC built and opened their new Regal Super Cinema just along the other side of the High Road.

The Golden Domes Picture Theatre was closed on 12th November 1938, just two days before the Regal Super Cinema opened.

Sir John Barbirolli

29/7/2023

Sir John Barbirolli, CH (2 December 1899 – 29 July 1970)

Cellist and conductor died 29th July 1970. Lived with his mother 33 Wavertree Road and then a separate address in Streatham with his wife

Picture by Walter Stoneman bromide print, 1952
NPG x163877 © National Portrait Gallery.

Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher FRS

29/7/2023

On This Day 29 July 1962 the statistician and "father of statistics" Ronald Fisher died

Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher FRS (17 February 1890 – 29 July 1962), who published as R. A. Fisher, was a British statistician and geneticist.

He lived at 56 Kempshott Road, Streatham.

Ronald Fisher was "a genius who almost single-handedly created the foundations for modern statistical science". He also brought together the work of Mendel and Darwin and has been called "the greatest of Darwin’s successors" ( Source Royal Society)

Fisher was born in East Finchley in London, England, into a middle class household; his father, George, was a successful partner in Robinson & Fisher, auctioneers and fine art dealers. He was one of twins with the other being still-born and grew up the youngest with three sisters and one brother. From 1896 until 1904 they lived at Inverforth House in London, where English Heritage installed a blue plaque in 2002, before moving to 56 Kempshott Rd, Streatham. His mother, Kate, died from acute peritonitis when he was 14, and his father lost his business 18 months later.

He married Eileen Guinness, with whom he had two sons and six daughters. His marriage disintegrated during World War II, and his oldest son George, an aviator, was killed in combat. His daughter Joan, who wrote a biography of her father, married the noted statistician George E. P. Box
(R.A. Fisher at his calculator in 1958 (courtesy of the Fisher Memorial Trust).

Tooting Bec Lido

28/7/2023

On This Day 28 July 1906 the Lido opened on Tooting Bec Common
Tooting Bec Lido is one of Britain's oldest open-air pools. It is 100 yards long, and 33 yards wide and is not only London's largest outdoor pool, it is the largest swimming pool by surface area in the UK. It holds one million gallons of water, takes a week to refill, and can hold a maximum of 1,400 swimmers at one time.

Walter Hedgecock- Music Director

28/7/2023

Walter Hedgecock died 28 July 1932

Resident of 198 Barcombe Ave and Streatham Manor in Leigham Avenue. He was the Musical Director at the Crystal Palace

Buried at West Norwood Cemetery

Closure of Pratts

28/7/2023

On This Day 28 July 1990 Pratts of the John Lewis Partnership closed in Streatham

Founded by George Pratt, the store stood on Streatham High Road from the 1850s. The store expanded and moved across the Road in 1867, passing through various owners until the John Lewis partnership purchased it in 1940

Frederick Charles Charsley

27/7/2023

Frederick Charles Charsley died On This Day 27 July 1928.

The Charsley family were domestic staff to the Gabriel family who lived in Norfolk House in Streatham.

The 1891 census records the family of 6 living over the stables with Frederick a coachman, Herbert a page boy and Walter a whitesmith

Photo courtesy David Preston via public access to Ancestry