STEAM

Swindon Mechanics Institute Pantomime poster, 1860

2007-03-26T10:00:46Z

Mechanics Institute Theatre, c1931

2007-08-01T15:48:29Z

View of the theatre and main stage.

This shot was taken after the theatre was destroyed by a fire in 1930. The arch around the stage was rebuilt in an art deco style.

Mechanics Institute Theatre, c1920s

2007-08-01T15:49:27Z

This view looking towards the back of the theatre was taken in the 1920s before a fire detroyed the main stage in late 1930. The decorative plasterwork can be seen quite clearly on the ceiling. The padded benches at the front were reserved for the more wealthy theatre-goers, with the 'cheap seats' behind.

Mechanics Institute, 1933

2007-08-01T15:50:31Z

This view of the Mechanics Institute shows the entrance to The Playhouse Theatre. The fly tower for the theatre can be seen in the centre of the building. This was built when a fire destroyed the old stage in December 1930.

The Institute provided a library, theatre and games rooms for GWR employees and their families. It was built in 1854 and stood in the heart of the Railway Village.

Mechanics Institute, c1880s

2007-08-01T15:50:37Z

This view shows the orignal Mechanics Institute building. Built in a gothic style the Institute would have been an imposing building in the Railway Village. The octagonal covered market, which was demolished in 1891, can be seen to the rear.

The Mechanics Institute provided a library, theatre and games rooms for GWR employees and their families. It was built in 1854 and stood in the heart of the Village.

Mechanics Institute, c1910

2007-08-01T15:53:11Z

This view of the Mechanics Institute shows the extension of 1891-93.

The Institute provided a library, theatre and games rooms for GWR employees and their families. It was built in 1854 and stood in the heart of the Railway Village.

Mechanics Institute, 1938

2007-08-01T15:53:17Z

This view of the Mechanics Institute shows the extension of 1891-93. The fly tower belonging to the theatre can clearly be seen. This was built when a fire destroyed the old stage in December 1930.

The Institute provided a library, theatre and games rooms for GWR employees and their families. It was built in 1854 and stood in the heart of the Railway Village.

Mechanics Institute Reading Room, c1930s

2007-08-01T15:55:53Z

This Reading Room was located in the new 1891-93 extension. It provided daily newspapers and journals to read on site. The Institute provided a library, theatre and games rooms for GWR employees and their families. It was built in 1854 and stood in the heart of the Railway Village.

Mechanics Institute Reference Library, 1931

2007-08-01T15:55:59Z

The Library was an important part of the Mechanics Institute. It provided the local community with a wide range of fiction and non-fiction publications. The Institute also provided a theatre and games rooms for GWR employees and their families. It was built in 1854 and stood in the heart of the Railway Village.

Mechanics Institute Luncheon, July 1908

2007-08-01T15:58:28Z

This luncheon was held in the Reading Room of the Mechanics Institute. George Jackson Churchward, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the GWR, can be seen sat at the back of the room to the centre of the image. The Mechanics Institute was built in 1854 and was at the heart of the Railway Village.

Mechanics Institute Band, c1900

2007-08-01T15:58:35Z

The Mechanics Institute provided a huge social and educational facility for GWR employees and their families. Musical performances were a big part of this.

Mechanics Institute, c1891

2007-08-01T16:00:22Z

This view of the Mechanics Institute shows the now demolished octagonal covered market. The Institute provided a library, theatre and games rooms for GWR employees and their families. It was built in 1854 and stood in the heart of the Railway Village.

Mechanics' Institute Library Entrance c.1930s

2007-11-05T13:30:03Z

Fashion Show in the Mechanics' Institute c.1920s

2007-11-05T13:37:17Z

Mechanics' Institute c. 1914

2007-11-05T13:40:03Z

An external view of the Mechanics'Institute in 1914

Stage production at the Mechanics' Institute

2007-11-05T13:42:51Z

The cast of the stage production A Trip to Juja posing in front of the stage of the Mechanics' Institute Theatre.