Blog Archives - The Streatham Society

Agnes de Selincourt

31/8/2022

On This Day 31 August 1917 Agnes de Selincourt died

Agnes de Selincourt (1872–1917), missionary and college administrator, was born at Alverstoke, Leigham Court Road, Streatham.

Educated at Notting Hill High School and Girton College Cambridge and Sommerville College Oxford.
Worked as a Missionary in Bombay and then first principal of the Lady Muir Memorial College, Allahabad.

In September 1913, just turned forty-one, Agnes De Selincourt became principal of Westfield College, Hampstead, University of London.

'To maintain connection with the family' her brother Professor Ernest De Selincourt (1870–1943) was on her death immediately elected to the Westfield council and served until 1937.
(Janet Sondheimer Oxford DNB

Magnificent New Theatre for Streatham.

31/8/2022

Magnificent New Theatre for Streatham.
Norwood News On This Day 31 August 1928
Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Delysia and Priscilla in the Pyrenees

30/8/2022

This picture of Priscilla and Delysia appeared in the Tatler On This Day 30 August 1933

Alice Henriette Lapize ( better known by her stage name, Alice Delysia and sometimes Elise Delisia), was a French actress and singer who made her career in English musical theatre. She appeared at the Streatham Hill Theatre in Mother o' Pearl.

Peter Jones of Sloane Square

30/8/2022

Peter Jones died On This Day 30 August 1905 in Streatham at the house of his daughter and her husband, acclaimed architect Frederick Wheeler

Peter Rees Jones (1843–1905), department store owner, was born in Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire, the son of Thomas Jones, a modestly successful hat manufacturer. He was educated privately, and after serving an apprenticeship in a Carmarthen drapery establishment, left Wales in 1864 to seek his fortune in London

Peter Jones died of a stroke at "Eversley", 11 Rydal Road, Streatham, on 30 August 1905. After being cremated at Woking, his ashes were interred at Brookwood cemetery, Surrey, on 2 September 1905.
In 1906 the Sloane Square store was sold to John Lewis, eventually becoming part of the John Lewis Partnership.

(Laura Ugolini Oxford DNB and John Lewis memory store)

Richard Tauber

29/8/2022

Richard Tauber conducting the London Symphony Orchestra On This Day 29 August 1943 at the Streatham Hill Theatre

Images: NPG x24330 and NPG x81242 © National Portrait Gallery, London

(George Joseph) Gustave Masson

29/8/2022

(George Joseph) Gustave Masson died On This Day 29th August 1888 in Streatham
A French scholar and teacher, the son of Emile Masson, who served under Napoleon and having survived the retreat from Moscow lived in exile in London where he met and married Masson's English mother.

While engaged in producing a vast and, for its time, innovative body of scholarship for specialists and valuable study aids for students and pupils, Masson was also a frequent contributor to The Athenaeum and the regular reviewer of French literature for the Saturday Review from 1872 to 1880.
He gave up his Harrow mastership in 1888 and died a few weeks later on 29 August at Woodlands, Tooting Common, Streatham, Surrey, while on a visit to his good friend Sir Henry Doulton. Masson was buried in Harrow churchyard

(Thomas Seccombe and Gregory Maertz. Oxford DNB)

Braxted Park- proposed houses

28/8/2022

An elevation and first floor plan dated 28th August 1905, for proposed houses at 2-16 Braxted Park, Streatham Common.

The elevations show subtle differences in the architecture, although the floor plan for each 5-bedroom house remains the same.From Drainage Records.
Lambeth Archives)

Ceramic Artist Eileen Edith Lewenstein (Mawson)

28/8/2022

Eileen Edith Lewenstein (Mawson) was born On This Day 28th August 1925. The family lived at 6 Glencairn Road

A ceramic artist, writer and editor. Her father worked for the Pearl Assurance Company and her mother was a keen amateur watercolourist.

She studied painting on a scholarship to the West of England School of Art, went on to Beckenham School of Art and, in 1944, took an art teaching diploma at the Institute of Education, London. Students were sent to the Central School of Arts and Crafts for practical classes.
Eileen Lewenstein founded 'Ceramic Review' in 1970

Her contribution to ceramics is important and she stands well alongside other famous women who have enriched the world of ceramics; names such as Dame Lucie Rie, Ruth Duckworth, Susie Cooper, Tessa Fuchs, Marianna de Trey, Janet Leach and Katherine Pleydell-Bouverie. Examples of Eileen Lewenstein’s work can be seen, and appreciated, in the V&A museum and other notable museums and galleries.

(extracts Graham Gower)

Guiness World Record balloon release

27/8/2022

St John's Church Eardley Road became the Kite and Balloon Company

On This Day 27 August 1994 the company held the world record for the largest balloon release- setting free 1.59 million balloons at Longleat for the European launch of Disney's Alladin Video
Just one of the facts covered in John W Brown's- Fascinating Streatham available from the Society

https://www.streathamsociety.org.uk/histories.html

Jack Pleasants

27/8/2022

Jack Pleasants (born Squire Pleasants) was born 27th August 1874. A music hall comedian and singer. He lived at 17 Christchurch Road

Jack Pleasants was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire. He was popular in Northern music halls in the early part of the twentieth century.

Billed as “The Bashful Limit”, he typically played the part of a "bashful fool", whose ostensible lack of experience with women could turn out to reveal hidden purpose.

He popularised the songs “I’m Twenty-One Today” and “I’m Shy, Mary Ellen, I’m Shy”, which remain the songs for which he is best remembered..