Rutland Picture House

Mike_Blakemore on June 25, 2014 at 9:53 pm

My Company had dealt with John Friese Greene’s company Modernisiation Ltd. for over 50 years I had planned to do a Project in 1996 but alas it was not to be He died before the Savoy could be done.. In that time we never had a written contract for any of the major works he did for us.

HJHill on June 25, 2014 at 9:17 am

The building was definitely not demolished in 1948, as commonly reported. There are aerial photos taken in September 1951 which show the complete building standing. There are two large loading-bay-type doors in the auditorium wall along Rutland Street and the pavement looks to have been modified/ramped to permit vehicular access. The roof over the centre/front of the auditorium looks original; that over the rear/balcony looks a cheap replacement. If that was because of bomb-damage, the lighthouse/tower feature on the roof at the front/corner escaped any damage. Due to the cost and materials involved, it wouldn’t have been restored when the building was repaired.

Even allowing for the confusion of war and the possible inertia in KYB updating its listings, for the Rutland to be listed in KYB 1947, two years after the end of the war, seems to contradict the widespread belief that it ceased operating in the early 1940’s.