Subscription dance at the People's Palace, 1890 [ILN Picture Library]

Victorian London - Publications - History - The Queen's London : a Pictorial and Descriptive Record of the Streets, Buildings, Parks and Scenery of the Great Metropolis, 1896 - The People's Palace

THE PEOPLE'S PALACE.

The exterior of the People's Palace, with its clock tower in front, presents quite an imposing appearance when seem from across the Mile End Road. Access to the Queen's Hall (shown on the opposite page) is gained through the main entrance in front. To the right are the fine technical and trade workshops, in which the Drapers' Company (whose Master, Sir J.H.Johnson, is Chairman of the Governors of the Palace) take a lively and generous interest. In the glass building to the left are the library and reading-rooms, which are open on Sundays, as well as on weekdays; and still further west, but not seen in our view, is the swimming-bath given by Lord Rosebery. The site cost £22,400. In the course of the year more than a million and a half persons visit the institution.

Victorian London - Publications - History - The Queen's London : a Pictorial and Descriptive Record of the Streets, Buildings, Parks and Scenery of the Great Metropolis, 1896 - The People's Palace : The Queen's Hall

PEOPLE'S PALACE: THE QUEENS' HALL.

Her Majesty the Queen in person opened the Queen's Hall at the People s Palace for East London, in the Mile End Road, in May 1887; - the Jubilee year. It derives its name from the fact that there are statues all round the building at the Queens of England, by Mr F. Verheyden. The architect of the Hall was Mr. E. R. Robson. It is used for public meetings, concerts, occasional loan exhibitions of pictures, etc and contains a fine organ. Such a hall was the necessary complement to the scheme based on Mr. Barber Beaumont's Philosophical Institute, and promoted so effectively by Sir Walter Besant's novel, "All Sorts and Conditions of Men." Altogether some £100,000 was needed for the undertaking, and of this Mr. Beaumont left the nucleus, while the Draper's Company give £60,000.

Victorian London - Education - Professional/Technical Colleges - The People's Palace

PEOPLE'S PALACE (THE) (BEAUMONT TRUST), Mile End-rd E.-The germ of this institution was the bequest of £12,250 by Mr. Barber Beaumont, towards the founding of a Philosophical Institution for the benefit of the inhabitants of Beaumont-sq, Mile End. Since then the trust has been very greatly extended, and palatial buildings for the advantage of the East End poor have been erected out of funds subscribed by the public; the Drapers' Company having alone contributed the munificent sum of £60,000. The scheme of the trust includes the provision of a great central hall, large library, swimming baths, technical trade and science schools, gymnasia, billiard and refreshment rooms, great exhibitions, winter gardens. etc.; the aim, in short, being to provide a place of recreation and university for the poor of East London. Since Oct.. 1887, when active operations began, more than 2½ million people have attended the Palace, and nearly 80,000 students the evening classes. The Palace is, indeed, well worthy a visit from all. NEAREST Ry. Stn, and Omnibus Rte., Mile End-rd.

Charles Dickens Jr. et al, Dickens Dictionary of London, c.1908 edition
(no date; based on internal evidence)