Strand, London

The Strand stood as London’s epicenter for entertainment. From restaurants, music halls, pubs, to smoking rooms, there were a plethora of establishments people could choose from to have an enjoyable evening. The most notable landmark on the street was the Strand Palace Hotel. During the 1920s, the hotel began renovations and adopted the art deco style, which would become synonymous with the hotel’s iconic status as “one of London's most opulent” (Reynolds). On the economic side, Coutts and Company, “one of the oldest surviving banks in London” (Hibbert et al. 213) which has long resided on the Strand, began to branch its reach and wealth throughout London. One could describe the street as having an air of affluent amusement.

Unfortunately, a good amount of the Strand’s establishments did not survive into contemporary times. For instance, only three theaters remain out of all Strand’s theaters and musical halls, the Savoy, Adelphi, and Vaudeville. Instead, office buildings have taken over the street through the course of the 20th and early 21st century. Though the street has modernized, there are still some establishments preserving elements from the 1920s. For example, the Strand Palace Hotel retains a few elements of the art deco design within the building or have been donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum. Moreover, the 1920s Strand’s atmosphere of opulence is still alive and well in the street’s contemporary architecture. Despite the evolution of establishments, one can still see the heart and attitude of Strand from 1920 continue to this day.

Image (1920s): http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/TheStrand/Romanos1920.jpg

Bibliography:

Hibbert, Christopher, et al. The London Encyclopaedia. 3rd ed., Pan Macmillan, 2008.

“A Landmark Hotel Since 1909 - Our History: Strand Palace.” The Strand Palace Hotel, www.strandpalacehotel.co.uk/us/history/.

Reynolds, Laura. “9 Things You Didn't Know About Strand.” Londonist, Londonist, 13 Jan. 2017, londonist.com/london/secret/secrets-of-strand.

“The Strand, London .” The Strand, London, www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/TheStrand/strand.htm.

“The Strand.” Hidden London, Tsohost, hidden-london.com/gazetteer/the-strand/.

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