Frith Street
 Frith Street facing south early on a July morning | |
  | |
| Type | Street |
|---|---|
| Area | Soho |
| Location | London |
| Coordinates | 51°30′51″N0°07′55″W/ 51.51417°N 0.13194°W |
| North end | Soho Square |
| South end | Shaftesbury Avenue |
| Construction | |
| Completion | 1670s |
Frith Streetis in theSohoarea ofLondon.To the north isSoho Squareand to the south isShaftesbury Avenue.The street crossesOld Compton Street,Bateman Streetand Romilly Street.
History
[edit]Frith Street was laid out in the late 1670s and early 1680s and evidently named after Richard Frith, a wealthy builder.[1]In the 18th and early 19th centuries many artistic and literary people came to live in Soho, and several of them settled in this street. The painterJohn Alexander Gressewas here in 1784, the year of his death.John Horne Tooke,philologist and politician, lived here in about 1804;John Constablelived here in 1810–11;John Bell,the sculptor, in 1832–33; andWilliam Hazlittwrote his last essays while he was lodging at no. 6 Frith Street prior to his death there in 1830.[1]Vincent Novelloand his son Alfred ran their music publishing business at 67 Frith St from 1829. ThelithographicartistAlfred Concanenhad a studio at no. 12 for many years.[2]
Samuel Romilly,the legal reformer, was born at no. 18 in 1757, and the youngWolfgang Amadeus Mozartlodged atno. 20with his father and sister in 1764–65. In 1816 the actorWilliam Charles Macreadywas living at no. 64, and over a hundred years later, from 1924 to 1926John Logie Bairdlived at no. 22 where on 26 January 1926 he demonstratedtelevisionto members of theRoyal Institution.[1]
In 1989 Frith Street Gallery was founded here, originally occupying two adjacent townhouses. Initially it was a forum for contemporary drawing, then it expanded into a wide range of artistic media. In 2007 the gallery moved toGolden Square,just a short distance from Frith Street.[3]
Today
[edit]
The coffee shopBar Italiaoccupies no. 22 and there is ablue plaqueover the door to commemorate Baird's TV experiments.Ronnie Scott's Jazz Clubhas been at no. 47 since 1965.
In popular culture
[edit]Frith Street is mentioned twice in the lyrics of the 2007 songGloriousbyAustralian-BritishsingerNatalie Imbruglia,in the first verse and at the end of the song.[4]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^abcWeinreb, Ben;Hibbert, Christopher(1993).The London Encyclopaedia(revised ed.). London: Papermac. pp. 303–304.ISBN0-333-57688-8.
- ^Irons, Neville - 'Alfred Concanen, Master Lithographer'Irish Arts ReviewVol. 4, No. 3 (Autumn 1987) pgs 37-41
- ^"Frith Street Gallery - GOLDEN SQUARE".Frith Street Gallery.
- ^"NATALIE IMBRUGLIA - GLORIOUS".Ultratop.
External links
[edit]
- LondonTown information
- Restaurants in Frith Street
- East sideandwest sideof Frith Street
- Frith Street Gallery,59–60 Frith Street