Arniston 1858
— 24/09/2024Found by Ian Suddaby near Pathhead, Midlothian. This example is not in my possession. Arniston Coal, Lime & Brick Works, Gorebridge, Midlothian. . . .
Patent Wilson & Son Glasgow 1851 brick found in Melbourne, Australia
Photograph and information have been forwarded by Graeme Toll.
William Wilson & Son, brickmaker and builder, Muirhouses Brickworks, Eglinton Street and Pollokshaw Road, Glasgow and Campbellfield Brick Tile and Pottery Works, Glasgow. (Note – SBH – I am uncertain which works this particular brick was manufactured at but it may have been Muirhouses).
The brick was recovered from a small area between 2 floors during renovation work in 2013 from a building in Bourke Street, Melbourne, Australia. An architect on site believed the brick may have been a second due to it being misshapen ( note: – I am not so sure it is a second). He also advised that such bricks would have been brought over during the gold rush as ballast and sold for a very good profit.
The building it was found in was originally known as St George’s Hall with an unknown build date. It then became the Hoyts Picture Theatre in 1912. The Hoyts De Luxe Theatre opened on 27th March 1915 and only showed films, and like many other Melbourne, Cinemas had a Wurlitzer organ. The architect was William Pitt. The lobby had a floor of mosaic tiles and the walls to a height of 8 feet were covered in silver-blue tiles. A marble staircase leads up to the Dress Circle foyer. The auditorium walls had a 10 foot high golden brown tiled dado, relieved with cream and blue inlaid panels. The upper part of these walls featured hand-painted panels of simple landscapes. These were covered over in 1934 when the auditorium was modernised to the plans of architectural firm H. Vivian Taylor, Soilleux and Overend.
The theatre was re-named Hoyts Esquire Theatre from 1946. The cinema’s policy was changed in 1957 with the movie, “Around the World in 80 Days”, and among the other classic films screened were “South Pacific”, “Can-Can”, “West Side Story”, “Tom Jones”, “Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines” and “The Graduate”.
It closed on 31st March 1976 and the interior was gutted with the façade covered over. The seating was quoted when it opened as 2,200 but this seems most unlikely with around 1,500 more believable. It seated 1,125 when it closed. The chandelier that used to hang in the lobby is now hanging in the foyer of the Regent Theatre in Ballarat.
Similar articles
-
-
Gartcraig Scotland found in the USA
— 24/09/2024Found by Ken Sousa in Massachusetts, USA. Gartcraig Fire Clay Works, By Millerston, Glasgow. . . . .
-
Scottish bricks found in Argentina
— 20/08/2024Found by Claudio Ernesto Rios. Claudio states – The bricks were found in the City of Zárate, Buenos Aires, Argentina. In a fridge (almost totally destroyed today) the fridge’s name was Smithfield Refrigerator of English capital, built in 1903, so I would believe those bricks were manufactured in the last decade of the 19th century….
-
Calder brick found in Argentina
— 16/08/2024Found by Patricio Peralta in an old bakery, Lincoln, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. “Calder British Made”. Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co Ltd, Bonnybridge. alt Calder Firebrick Works, Airdrie, Lanarkshire. alt Chapelhall Works, Lanarkshire. Hepworth Ceramic Holdings plc (GR-Stein Refractories Ltd. parent co) bought the Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co. Ltd in 1972, closed Bonnybridge…
-
Bonnybridge brick found in Finland
— 16/08/2024Found by Senja Salmi in Sääksjärvi, Mäntsälä, Finland. Senja states – We are not sure how old this house is but at least about 100 years old and it was built by the last blacksmith of this village. Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co Ltd, Bonnybridge. alt Calder Firebrick Works, Airdrie, Lanarkshire. alt Chapelhall Works, Lanarkshire….
-
Bourtreehill Kilmarnock brick found in Sweden
— 24/07/2024Found by Hans Nilsson in the sea at Furuögrund, Sweden. Hans states – The brick was found in Furuögrund north of Skellefteå. Furuögrund was the port where wood products from the area where produced and shipped. At many places ballast was left. The ballast, usually stone not found in Sweden…like flint and sometimes even a…
-
Inchcoonans 1976
— 08/07/2024Found by Ian Suddaby in Perthshire. This example is not in my possession. Errol Brick and Tile Works, Inchcoonans, Dundee . . .
-
Prestongrange brick found in Germany
— 02/07/2024Found by Sarina Martin in Bremerhaven, Germany. Prestongrange Brick, Tile and Fireclay Works, Prestonpans, East Lothian. . . . .
-
Nettle and Douglas bricks found in USA
— 02/07/2024Found by Janet Archey in an avocado grove in Fallbrook, California. . . . . . Below – Nettle – D brick Stein, Castlecary Fireclay Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Stein, Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross, Stirlingshire. Stein & Co, Anchor Brickworks, Denny, Stirlingshire. Milnquarter Fireclay & Gannister Works, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. Below – Douglas – D…
-
Glenboig brick found in Russia
— 27/06/2024Found by Flipp Metlin in a basement floor in Saint Petersburg, on Vasilievskiy Island, Russia. Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Glenboig Star Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Glenboig Fireclay Works, (Old Works) Glenboig, Lanarkshire It is likely there is a dash and a downward arrow stamped on the right of the brick…
