Frank Verity
Encyclopedia
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
during the cinema building boom of the post-war
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
years.
Verity was born in London, educated at Cranleigh
Cranleigh
Cranleigh is a large village, self-proclaimed the largest in England, and is situated 8 miles south east of Godalming in Surrey. It lies to the east of the A281 which links Guildford with Horsham; neighbouring villages include: Ewhurst, Alfold and Hascombe....
and joined Thomas Verity
Thomas Verity
Thomas Verity was an English theatre architect during the theatre building boom of 1885–1915.Verity began his career articled in the architecture department of the War Office, assisting in the erection of the South Kensington Museum...
, his father, in his architectural practice, which specialised in theatre
Theater (structure)
A theater or theatre is a structure where theatrical works or plays are performed or other performances such as musical concerts may be produced. While a theater is not required for performance , a theater serves to define the performance and audience spaces...
building.
Both Veritys bought an interest in ornate Second Empire-style architecture to their early buildings, developing this into grand Beaux Arts in their later works. Many of the surviving buildings have achieved recognition in the late 20th century, becoming listed for their architectural significance.
Frank Verity continued the practice, on his father's death, and Sam Beverley, his son-in-law, joined the practice in the 1920s, which remains active today. The company designed over 25 cinemas, achieving a Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
bronze medal for the Shepherd's Bush
Shepherd's Bush
-Commerce:Commercial activity in Shepherd's Bush is now focused on the Westfield shopping centre next to Shepherd's Bush Central line station and on the many small shops which run along the northern side of the Green....
Pavilion cinema in 1930.
In 1915, he was the architect of a block of flats
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
on the site of the former Somerset House
Somerset House, Park Lane
Somerset House, Park Lane , was an 18th century town house on the east side of Park Lane, where it meets Oxford Street, in the Mayfair area of London, England...
on Park Lane
Park Lane (road)
Park Lane is a major road in the City of Westminster, in Central London.-History:Originally a country lane running north-south along what is now the eastern boundary of Hyde Park, it became a fashionable residential address from the eighteenth century onwards, offering both views across Hyde Park...
, the first such building in that important street.
Verity designed many central London premises, including: the Carlton Theatre
Carlton Theatre
The Carlton Theatre was a London West End Theatre from 1927 until 1960 when it was converted into The Carlton Cinema. This is now called Cineworld, Haymarket / The Cinema On The Haymarket. The architect was Frank Verity...
(1927), now a cinema; the Embassy Theatre (1923) and restaurant in High Holborn
High Holborn
High Holborn is a road in Holborn in central London, England. It starts in the west near St Giles Circus, then goes east, past the Kingsway and Southampton Row, and continues east. The road becomes Holborn at the junction with Gray's Inn Road....
, now demolished and the site occupied by offices; and the Plaza Theatre (1926) as a cinema for Paramount - remains in use.
Further reading
- Theatre London: An Architectural Guide, Edwin Heathcote, ISBN 1-84166-047-7
- Guide to British Theatres 1750-1950, Earl, John and Michael Sell pp. 283–284 (Theatres Trust, 2000) ISBN 0-7136-5688-3