Mara'S Scene Painting Shop

The following building shall be added:-

TQ 3078 NEWPORT STREET

4/1090 Nos 1-7 (odd) II Mara's Scene Painting Shop

Carpentry workshop and scenery shop. Built in 1913 to the designs of John A J Woodward of Kennington Oval, the LCC's District Surveyor for the area, by George Brittain Contractor to the Duchy of Cornwall Estate. Nos. 1 & 3 was a carpentry workshop for theatrical 'props' and scenery, first occupied by John Brinskill whilst Nos. 5 & 7 housed the painted scenery shop, originally with 8 frames run in pairs and first run by William Raphael. It is the facility to design an entire theatrical set that makes this group of workshops unique. Painted brick with slate roof. 2 to 3 storeys with irregular fenestration. Left hand part (No 1) is of 2 storeys with 1 cambered sash to 2nd floor and 5 cambered fixed casements to ground floor and double doors. No 3 is of 3 storeys with hipped roof. 2 lower storeys have 4 cambered fixed casements leading door to 1st floor and wide door to ground floor. No 7 is of 3 storeys with 2 cambered fixed casements and loading door to 1st floor and 2 cambered casements and wide door to ground floor. No 7 is of 3 storeys with gable and kneelers. 2nd floor has circular windows. 1st floor has 2 narrow windows and 2 narrow unloading doors and ground floor has 3 cambered casements and wide door. Internally Nos 1 & 3 have iron columns and floor joists with cross braces. No 5 has 4 vertical frames surviving, the full height and width of the building on which the canvas could be stretched and inched up and down for the convenience of the artist working at 1st floor level. These have a drop of 24 feet and various widths between 41 ft 10 ins and 49 ft 6 ins because of the angled shape of the building. No 7 lost 4 frames through bomb damage though the gaps in the 1st floor and the system of hand.pulleys survive in part. Roof of scientific kingpost form. Only 4 early theatrical painting workshops are known to exist and although the other 3 are 10 years earlier this is the only one with the facility to design and build an extra set. [Lambeth Drainage Plans, No 5522. Robert Thorne. Historian Files Camden 204 and Southwark 94]

Listing NGR: TQ3081178822