Gaumont Southsea

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Taken on: October 15, 2021

Uploaded on: March 11, 2023

Software: Windows Photo Editor 10.0.10011.16384

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This original photograph taken of the façade of the Plaza cinema Bradford Junction Southsea in October 1928. Faced in Portland stone and solid Portland columns, four Ionic columns either side of main entrance doors, with four additional Doric fluted columns framing the central ‘Sun Rise’ leaded windows. The Plaza was built for Frederick Joseph Spickernell, twice Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, being his second cinema after the Regent, March 1923. Architect Henry Dyer, building contractor Samuel Salter Ltd., Interior design and fibrous plaster detail by Bryan’s Adamanta Ltd., Birmingham. There were two further cinemas built in Portsmouth by Spickernell, the Tivoli November 1929 and Troxy July 1936. It was Troxy Architect Robert Cromie who was chosen to build his only cinema outside Portsmouth, the vast 2000 seat Plaza Southampton in October 1932 opening six month after Cromie’s most well known cinema the Gaumont Palace later Odeon Hammersmith, now a Grade II* listed building and still functioning as built with single auditoria. The Plaza Southampton was no doubt to be Spickernell’s finest with its spectacular Egyptian interior, featuring palm trees with beaten metal silvered fronds, light fittings replicating ancient barges and Arabesque designed carpeting and seating.

Ron Knee