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Victoria Rooms (Bristol)
Encyclopedia
The Victoria Rooms, also known as the Vic Rooms, houses the University of Bristol
's music department in Clifton, Bristol
, England, on a prominent site at the junction of Queens Road and Whiteladies Road. The building, originally assembly rooms
, was designed by Charles Dyer
and was constructed between 1838 and 1842 in Greek revival style
, and named in honour of Queen Victoria, who had acceded to the throne in the previous year. An eight column Corinthian
portico
surmounts the entrance, with a classical relief sculpture designed by Musgrave Watson
above. The construction is of dressed stonework, with a slate roof. A bronze
statue of Edward VII, was erected in 1912 at the front of the Victoria Rooms, together with a curved pool and several fountain
s with sculptures in the Art Nouveau
style.
The Victoria Rooms contain a 665-seat auditorium, a lecture theatre, recital rooms, rehearsal rooms and a recording studio. Jenny Lind
and Charles Dickens
performed at the Victoria Rooms. It was also the venue for important dinners and assemblies, including banquets to commemorate the opening of the Clifton Suspension Bridge
and the quatercentennial anniversary of Cabot
's discovery of North America, meetings which led to the establishment of the University College, Bristol
, an early congress of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and sufragettes "at-homes". The building was purchased and given to the University in 1920 as a home for the student union and, circa 1924, it spent a brief period as a cinema. Following a fire in 1934, the building was refurbished by the University. It remained as the base of the student union until purpose built facilities were opened in Queens Road in the 1960s. The Victoria Rooms then became an exhibition and conference centre, before housing the music department in 1996. They remain in use in the 21st century for concerts, exhibitions, plays, recitals and lectures.
, in Clifton, Bristol
, "occupying one of the finest sites in Clifton," according to a 1906 visitor's guide. Gomme, in Bristol: an architectural history (1979), described it as a key building on a prominent intersection. The building was designed as assembly rooms
by Charles Dyer
. The foundation stone was laid on 24 May 1838, the 19th birthday of Queen Victoria, in whose honour the building was named. Building works in the Greek revival style
, incorporating an eight-columned Corinthian
portico
which is 30 feet (9.1 m) tall, were completed in 1842. It is constructed of ashlar
(dressed stone work) with steps leading up to the portico. The roof is of slate. Two sloping ramps were built to allow the passage of carriages into the building. The pediment in the blind attic above the columns has a relief carving attributed to Musgrave Watson
"depicting Wisdom in her chariot ushering in the morning, and followed by the Three Graces
", according to Andrew Foyle in Pevsner's Guide
. He adds that the main hall was disappointingly remodelled in 1935, following a fire the previous year. In 1838, the design of the interior was described as "nothing either particularly remarkable or new in regard to design" in the Civil Engineer and Architects' Journal. In 1849, the interior of the hall was described by Chilcott, in his Descriptive history of Bristol as being decorated in a Greek theme, to match the exterior of the building. Gomme describes the pediment sculpture as "Minerva in car driven by Apollo, accompanied by the Hours and Graces", attributing the sculpture to Jabez Tyley. Henry Lonsdale, writing in 1866, explains this anomaly by revealing that Tyley created the sculpture in Bath Stone
from a plaster of paris model by Watson. The architecture of the building is described by English Heritage
as "a product of European trends of the time, moving away from Neoclassicism
and towards Roman Corinthian design." It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building.
Inside the main entrance is a vestibule which then leads via an octagonal room, with a bowed cast-iron railed balcony and a domed ceiling, to the main auditorium. A correspondent of the Bristol Mercury, in 1846, described an ingenious central heating system consisting of a cast iron stove which heated and circulated air, "using less than half a cwt. [25 kilograms (55.1 lb)] of Welsh anthracite in twenty-four hours", kept the interior of the building some 30 to 40°F (16 to 22°C) higher than the external temperature. Much of the interior was remodelled in the mid-20th century, although some period plaster decorations remain in the Regency room. From 1873 the main auditorium housed a large organ originally built for the Royal Panopticon of Arts and Science in Leicester Square
, from where it was removed to St Paul's Cathedral
and thence to the Victoria Rooms. In July 1899 it was decided to replace this with an electric organ, which could be played from a keyboard at a considerable distance from the organ itself. The organ was built by Messrs Norman & Beard, and was first played by Edwin Lemare
on 31 October 1900; On 1 December 1934, a fire started under the stage of the great hall or auditorium, quickly spreading. The Times
reported that "The brigades were able to no more than prevent the fire from extending to the Lesser Hall and the recreation rooms. The fine electric organ was completely destroyed."
In the 21st century, the building houses a 665-seat auditorium and rehearsal rooms. The auditorium is approximately 418 square metres (4,499.3 sq ft), with an adjacent lecture theatre of some 119 square metres (1,280.9 sq ft) and a recital room of 139 square metres (1,496.2 sq ft). The purpose built composition and recording studios are in regular use for research and the creation of works. Other facilities include a bar, common rooms, a resource centre and practice rooms.
A memorial statue of Edward VII, designed by Edwin Alfred Rickards and executed by Henry Poole RA
, was erected in 1912 at the front of the Victoria Rooms, together with a curved pool, lamps, steps, balustrades, ornamental crouching lions and fountain
s with sculptures in the Art Nouveau
style. Two sphinx
es, which had previously guarded the building, were removed for these new works. The statue and fountains are regarded as fine examples of Rickards and Poole's work and have been Grade II* listed. An interesting feature of the fountains is that the water flow is controlled by an anemometer
"so that on windy days the pressure is reduced in order that the water does not blow across the adjacent roadway."
and Charles Dickens
were just two of the artists known to have performed there. Numerous private subscription balls were held at the rooms, in competition with those organised at the assembly rooms in the Mall, Clifton. This rivalry occasioned disputes between the promoters and accusations of prejudice and snobbery. Other uses included what was the first public demonstration of electric lighting in Bristol in 1863. It was also the scene for large banquets, such as that to celebrate the opening of the Clifton Suspension Bridge
in 1864, and the celebrations, in 1897, of the four hundredth anniversary of John Cabot
's discovery of North America.
On 11 June 1874 the Victoria Rooms hosted a meeting to promote what was described as a College of Science and Literature for the West of England and South Wales, which became University College, Bristol
, an education
al institution which existed from 1876 to 1909. It was the predecessor institution to the University of Bristol
, which gained a Royal Charter
in 1909. The meeting was attended by the then President of the British Association and Sir William Thompson (later Lord Kelvin). This meeting has been described as a partial success, as it gained the support of Albert Fry
and Lewis Fry
, members of the influential Fry family (the Fry name being known for the chocolate
business set up by their grandfather and developed by their father Joseph Storrs Fry
). Lewis Fry was a Quaker, lawyer and later a Liberal and Unionist Member of Parliament
from 1885–1892 and 1895-1890 for the constituency Bristol North. In 1898 the third congress of the British Association for the Advancement of Science was held at the rooms.
In the early twentieth century, Annie Kenney
and Clara Codd, local organisers of the Women's Social and Political Union
(the suffragettes) used the Victoria Rooms to host "at homes", to which all were invited. In 1920, the rooms were purchased from the original private company by wealthy local industrialist Sir George Wills
and given to the University to house the students' union
. It appears that the University briefly leased the building for use as the Clifton Cinema which was situated there in March 1924, when local photographer Reece Winstone
took a photograph. All seats were priced at 1/3d. The Victoria Rooms remained the base for the student union until 1964 when a purpose-built facility was constructed in nearby Queen's Road. The building then became a conference and exhibition centre, hosting occasional concerts such as those by Pink Floyd
in 1967 and 1969. In 1987 the building housed the first incarnation of the Exploratory
founded by Richard Gregory
- a hands-on science centre and precursor of At-Bristol
- until 1989. The University Music Department was moved into the Victoria Rooms in 1996.
The venue, in the 21st century, has a regular programme of concerts, theatrical performances, lectures and conferences, serving a similar purpose to that for which the building was constructed in the nineteenth century.
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
's music department in Clifton, Bristol
Clifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
, England, on a prominent site at the junction of Queens Road and Whiteladies Road. The building, originally assembly rooms
Assembly rooms
In Great Britain and Ireland, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, assembly rooms were gathering places for members of the higher social classes open to members of both sexes. At that time most entertaining was done at home and there were few public places of entertainment open to both sexes...
, was designed by Charles Dyer
Charles Dyer
Charles Dyer was an architect based in London who designed many buildings in and around Bristol.-Some buildings of Charles Dyer:* St Pauls' Church, Bedminster * Engineers House, Bristol 1831...
and was constructed between 1838 and 1842 in Greek revival style
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
, and named in honour of Queen Victoria, who had acceded to the throne in the previous year. An eight column Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
surmounts the entrance, with a classical relief sculpture designed by Musgrave Watson
Musgrave Watson
Musgrave Lewthwaite Watson was an English sculptor of the early 19th century.Watson was born in Cumberland, being christened on 8 March 1804 at Hawksdale, near Dalston. His parents were prosperous farmers, who also owned an iron-forge...
above. The construction is of dressed stonework, with a slate roof. A bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
statue of Edward VII, was erected in 1912 at the front of the Victoria Rooms, together with a curved pool and several fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
s with sculptures in the Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
style.
The Victoria Rooms contain a 665-seat auditorium, a lecture theatre, recital rooms, rehearsal rooms and a recording studio. Jenny Lind
Jenny Lind
Johanna Maria Lind , better known as Jenny Lind, was a Swedish opera singer, often known as the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she is known for her performances in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and across Europe, and for an extraordinarily...
and Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
performed at the Victoria Rooms. It was also the venue for important dinners and assemblies, including banquets to commemorate the opening of the Clifton Suspension Bridge
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Brunel died in 1859, without seeing the completion of the bridge. Brunel's colleagues in the Institution of Civil Engineers felt that completion of the Bridge would be a fitting memorial, and started to raise new funds...
and the quatercentennial anniversary of Cabot
John Cabot
John Cabot was an Italian navigator and explorer whose 1497 discovery of parts of North America is commonly held to have been the first European encounter with the continent of North America since the Norse Vikings in the eleventh century...
's discovery of North America, meetings which led to the establishment of the University College, Bristol
University College, Bristol
University College, Bristol was an educational institution which existed from 1876 to 1909. It was the predecessor institution to the University of Bristol, which gained a Royal Charter in 1909...
, an early congress of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and sufragettes "at-homes". The building was purchased and given to the University in 1920 as a home for the student union and, circa 1924, it spent a brief period as a cinema. Following a fire in 1934, the building was refurbished by the University. It remained as the base of the student union until purpose built facilities were opened in Queens Road in the 1960s. The Victoria Rooms then became an exhibition and conference centre, before housing the music department in 1996. They remain in use in the 21st century for concerts, exhibitions, plays, recitals and lectures.
The building
The Victoria Rooms, also known colloquially as the Vic Rooms, are situated at the junction of Queen's Road and Whiteladies RoadWhiteladies Road
Whiteladies Road is a main road in Bristol, England. It runs north from the Victoria Rooms to Durdham Down, and separates Clifton on the west side from Redland on the east...
, in Clifton, Bristol
Clifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
, "occupying one of the finest sites in Clifton," according to a 1906 visitor's guide. Gomme, in Bristol: an architectural history (1979), described it as a key building on a prominent intersection. The building was designed as assembly rooms
Assembly rooms
In Great Britain and Ireland, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, assembly rooms were gathering places for members of the higher social classes open to members of both sexes. At that time most entertaining was done at home and there were few public places of entertainment open to both sexes...
by Charles Dyer
Charles Dyer
Charles Dyer was an architect based in London who designed many buildings in and around Bristol.-Some buildings of Charles Dyer:* St Pauls' Church, Bedminster * Engineers House, Bristol 1831...
. The foundation stone was laid on 24 May 1838, the 19th birthday of Queen Victoria, in whose honour the building was named. Building works in the Greek revival style
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
, incorporating an eight-columned Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
which is 30 feet (9.1 m) tall, were completed in 1842. It is constructed of ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
(dressed stone work) with steps leading up to the portico. The roof is of slate. Two sloping ramps were built to allow the passage of carriages into the building. The pediment in the blind attic above the columns has a relief carving attributed to Musgrave Watson
Musgrave Watson
Musgrave Lewthwaite Watson was an English sculptor of the early 19th century.Watson was born in Cumberland, being christened on 8 March 1804 at Hawksdale, near Dalston. His parents were prosperous farmers, who also owned an iron-forge...
"depicting Wisdom in her chariot ushering in the morning, and followed by the Three Graces
Charites
In Greek mythology, a Charis is one of several Charites , goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility. They ordinarily numbered three, from youngest to oldest: Aglaea , Euphrosyne , and Thalia . In Roman mythology they were known as the Gratiae, the "Graces"...
", according to Andrew Foyle in Pevsner's Guide
Pevsner Architectural Guides
The Pevsner Architectural Guides are a series of guide books to the architecture of the British Isles. Begun in the 1940s by art historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, the 46 volumes of the Buildings of England series were published between 1951 and 1975. The series was then extended to Scotland and...
. He adds that the main hall was disappointingly remodelled in 1935, following a fire the previous year. In 1838, the design of the interior was described as "nothing either particularly remarkable or new in regard to design" in the Civil Engineer and Architects' Journal. In 1849, the interior of the hall was described by Chilcott, in his Descriptive history of Bristol as being decorated in a Greek theme, to match the exterior of the building. Gomme describes the pediment sculpture as "Minerva in car driven by Apollo, accompanied by the Hours and Graces", attributing the sculpture to Jabez Tyley. Henry Lonsdale, writing in 1866, explains this anomaly by revealing that Tyley created the sculpture in Bath Stone
Bath Stone
Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England, its warm, honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance...
from a plaster of paris model by Watson. The architecture of the building is described by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as "a product of European trends of the time, moving away from Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
and towards Roman Corinthian design." It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building.
Inside the main entrance is a vestibule which then leads via an octagonal room, with a bowed cast-iron railed balcony and a domed ceiling, to the main auditorium. A correspondent of the Bristol Mercury, in 1846, described an ingenious central heating system consisting of a cast iron stove which heated and circulated air, "using less than half a cwt. [25 kilograms (55.1 lb)] of Welsh anthracite in twenty-four hours", kept the interior of the building some 30 to 40°F (16 to 22°C) higher than the external temperature. Much of the interior was remodelled in the mid-20th century, although some period plaster decorations remain in the Regency room. From 1873 the main auditorium housed a large organ originally built for the Royal Panopticon of Arts and Science in Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
, from where it was removed to St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
and thence to the Victoria Rooms. In July 1899 it was decided to replace this with an electric organ, which could be played from a keyboard at a considerable distance from the organ itself. The organ was built by Messrs Norman & Beard, and was first played by Edwin Lemare
Edwin Lemare
Edwin Henry Lemare was an English organist and composer who lived the latter part of his life in the United States.-Biography:...
on 31 October 1900; On 1 December 1934, a fire started under the stage of the great hall or auditorium, quickly spreading. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reported that "The brigades were able to no more than prevent the fire from extending to the Lesser Hall and the recreation rooms. The fine electric organ was completely destroyed."
In the 21st century, the building houses a 665-seat auditorium and rehearsal rooms. The auditorium is approximately 418 square metres (4,499.3 sq ft), with an adjacent lecture theatre of some 119 square metres (1,280.9 sq ft) and a recital room of 139 square metres (1,496.2 sq ft). The purpose built composition and recording studios are in regular use for research and the creation of works. Other facilities include a bar, common rooms, a resource centre and practice rooms.
Forecourt
The building was originally surrounded by iron railings as shown in 19th century photographs, but these are no longer there, possibly removed during the Second World War as part of a nationwide scrap drive.A memorial statue of Edward VII, designed by Edwin Alfred Rickards and executed by Henry Poole RA
Henry Poole (sculptor)
Henry Poole RA was a British architectural sculptor.He studied at the Lambeth School of Art in 1888; and from 26 January 1892 under Harry Bates ARA and George Frederic Watts RA at the Royal Academy Schools. Poole was elected ARA 22 April 1920 and became a full RA in 1927, shortly before his death...
, was erected in 1912 at the front of the Victoria Rooms, together with a curved pool, lamps, steps, balustrades, ornamental crouching lions and fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
s with sculptures in the Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
style. Two sphinx
Sphinx
A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
es, which had previously guarded the building, were removed for these new works. The statue and fountains are regarded as fine examples of Rickards and Poole's work and have been Grade II* listed. An interesting feature of the fountains is that the water flow is controlled by an anemometer
Anemometer
An anemometer is a device for measuring wind speed, and is a common weather station instrument. The term is derived from the Greek word anemos, meaning wind, and is used to describe any airspeed measurement instrument used in meteorology or aerodynamics...
"so that on windy days the pressure is reduced in order that the water does not blow across the adjacent roadway."
History
The Victoria Rooms were opened on 24 May 1842; building had begun in 1838, and cost £23,000. The money was raised by a "body of Conservative citizens". Jenny LindJenny Lind
Johanna Maria Lind , better known as Jenny Lind, was a Swedish opera singer, often known as the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she is known for her performances in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and across Europe, and for an extraordinarily...
and Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
were just two of the artists known to have performed there. Numerous private subscription balls were held at the rooms, in competition with those organised at the assembly rooms in the Mall, Clifton. This rivalry occasioned disputes between the promoters and accusations of prejudice and snobbery. Other uses included what was the first public demonstration of electric lighting in Bristol in 1863. It was also the scene for large banquets, such as that to celebrate the opening of the Clifton Suspension Bridge
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Brunel died in 1859, without seeing the completion of the bridge. Brunel's colleagues in the Institution of Civil Engineers felt that completion of the Bridge would be a fitting memorial, and started to raise new funds...
in 1864, and the celebrations, in 1897, of the four hundredth anniversary of John Cabot
John Cabot
John Cabot was an Italian navigator and explorer whose 1497 discovery of parts of North America is commonly held to have been the first European encounter with the continent of North America since the Norse Vikings in the eleventh century...
's discovery of North America.
On 11 June 1874 the Victoria Rooms hosted a meeting to promote what was described as a College of Science and Literature for the West of England and South Wales, which became University College, Bristol
University College, Bristol
University College, Bristol was an educational institution which existed from 1876 to 1909. It was the predecessor institution to the University of Bristol, which gained a Royal Charter in 1909...
, an education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
al institution which existed from 1876 to 1909. It was the predecessor institution to the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
, which gained a Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
in 1909. The meeting was attended by the then President of the British Association and Sir William Thompson (later Lord Kelvin). This meeting has been described as a partial success, as it gained the support of Albert Fry
Albert Fry
Albert Fry was a businessman and a member of the influential Fry family. Fry was the owner of the Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works Company Ltd which he acquired in 1851. He was important in the development of the drainage plow....
and Lewis Fry
Lewis Fry
Lewis Fry DL, was a Quaker, lawyer, philanthropist and a Liberal and later Liberal and Unionist politician who sat in the House of Commons in three spells between 1878 and 1900.-Early life:...
, members of the influential Fry family (the Fry name being known for the chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
business set up by their grandfather and developed by their father Joseph Storrs Fry
Joseph Storrs Fry
Joseph Storrs Fry was an English chocolate and confectionery manufacturer and a member of the Fry Family of Bristol, England.-Early life:He was born in 1767, son of Joseph Fry and his wife Anna...
). Lewis Fry was a Quaker, lawyer and later a Liberal and Unionist Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
from 1885–1892 and 1895-1890 for the constituency Bristol North. In 1898 the third congress of the British Association for the Advancement of Science was held at the rooms.
In the early twentieth century, Annie Kenney
Annie Kenney
Annie Kenney was an English working class suffragette who became a leading figure in the Women's Social and Political Union...
and Clara Codd, local organisers of the Women's Social and Political Union
Women's Social and Political Union
The Women's Social and Political Union was the leading militant organisation campaigning for Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom...
(the suffragettes) used the Victoria Rooms to host "at homes", to which all were invited. In 1920, the rooms were purchased from the original private company by wealthy local industrialist Sir George Wills
George Alfred Wills
George Alfred Wills was a President of Imperial Tobacco and the head of an eminent Bristol family. He was the son of Henry Overton Wills III and Alice Hopkinson and was educated at Mill Hill School before joining his father’s business, he eventually became the managing director.He was responsible...
and given to the University to house the students' union
University of Bristol Union
BURST or Bristol University Radio Station is a student-run radio station, based in the University of Bristol broadcast online from the university's student union building, and occasionally via FM with a Restricted Service Licence. The station also holds an AM licence, and plans to begin...
. It appears that the University briefly leased the building for use as the Clifton Cinema which was situated there in March 1924, when local photographer Reece Winstone
Reece Winstone
Reece Winstone was an English photographer from Bristol. He edited and self-published the 'Bristol As It Was' books of photographs of Bristol, covering in detail the period from the dawn of photography to 1962.-Career:...
took a photograph. All seats were priced at 1/3d. The Victoria Rooms remained the base for the student union until 1964 when a purpose-built facility was constructed in nearby Queen's Road. The building then became a conference and exhibition centre, hosting occasional concerts such as those by Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
in 1967 and 1969. In 1987 the building housed the first incarnation of the Exploratory
Exploratory (museum)
The Exploratory was a science museum in Bristol, England that was established in 1987 by Richard Gregory.From 1987 to 1989 it was housed in the Victoria Rooms which were designed by Charles Dyer and was built between 1838 and 1842 in Greek revival style....
founded by Richard Gregory
Richard Gregory
Richard Langton Gregory, CBE, MA, D.Sc., FRSE, FRS was a British psychologist and Emeritus Professor of Neuropsychology at the University of Bristol.-Life and career:...
- a hands-on science centre and precursor of At-Bristol
At-Bristol
At-Bristol is a public science and technology "exploration" and education centre and charity in Bristol, England.As a visitor attraction, At-Bristol has hundreds of hands-on exhibits, and a Planetarium with seasonal shows for the over fives, and a 'Little Stars' show for children aged five and under...
- until 1989. The University Music Department was moved into the Victoria Rooms in 1996.
The venue, in the 21st century, has a regular programme of concerts, theatrical performances, lectures and conferences, serving a similar purpose to that for which the building was constructed in the nineteenth century.