Victorian London : Mapping the Emergence of the Modern Art Gallery

Data » Gallery List


Conduit Street Gallery


Address: 9 Conduit Street

Start Date: by 1874 [by 1873]*

End Date: at least 1874 [at least 1875]*

9 Conduit Street seems to have been a long-standing exhibition venue, available for rent. In the years between 1873 and 1875, frequent advertisements using the name the Conduit-Street Gallery suggest the establishment of a single and more consistent retail identity. A long ad for the “Conduit-Street Gallery” in the Times on 31 May 1873 noted that the gallery was “open daily for the sale of high-class pictures,” including a long list of “highly-esteemed artists,” such as W. P. Frith, L. Alma Tadema, and Marcus Stone. The ad also advised potential clients that “in addition to the class of works advertised above, gentlemen will always find at the Conduit-Street Gallery a collection of pictures, by rising young artists, at very moderate prices.”

Selected Exhibitions and Events

The space was frequently used for various exhibitions and lectures both before and after this time, as indicated by the list below of a wide range of selected exhibitions and events drawn from the Times:

“Society for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts. President – The Right Hon., the Earl of Ellesmere. The Lecture Course, including all the branches of the fine arts, will Commence on Thursday, Nov. 27, and be continued weekly. … By order, Henry Ottley, Hon. Sec. Society’s Rooms, 9 Conduit-street, W.” (Times, 8 November 1860, 5.)

“Architectural Photographic Association. The Exhibition of Photographs is Open daily, from 9 till 6, at 9 Conduit-street, Regent St., W.” (Times, 9 February 1861, 1.)

“The Motett Choir of the Ecclesiological Society will hold their next meeting at the Architectural Exhibition Rooms, 9, Conduit-street, on Wednesday next.”(Times, May 11, 1861, 1.)

 “The 15th Annual Exhibition of the Photographic Society was opened last night in the Conduit-street Gallery.” (Times, 9 November 1870, 5.)

“Sculpted Groups of Wild Animals by E. Kemeys on view daily at the Conduit-street Galleries, 9 Conduit-street. Admission 1s” (Times,16 June 1877, 1.)

“Exhibition: For DISPOSAL, the GOODWILL, Business and Furniture or the INSTITUTE of ART EXHIBITION, hitherto carried on at the Conduit-street Galleries. Payments from members may be expected to pay the rent. Apply Mr. George Schofield, 73, Woodstock-road, N.” (Times, 12 October 1881, 1.)

“France. From Our Correspondent”: “I learn that Munkaczy’s picture will be on view at the Conduit-street galleries on and after the 24th of April. It has had as great success at Pesth as at Paris and Vienna, the sums paid for admissions there in the four weeks having amounted to 38,422 florins.” (Times, April 21 1882, 5.)

“Society of British Architects. - Mr. Edward Freeman has resigned the acting secretaryship of this society , and has accepted the management of the Nineteenth-Century Art Society, the exhibitions of which will be held at the Conduit-street Galleries. (“Course of Exchange, Feb. 1,” Times 2 Feb. 1883, 11.)

 “In response to numerous requests, the Tinworth Exhibition of scenes from Bible history, at the Conduit-street Galleries, will remain open until 22nd inst., when the galleries will be required by the Nineteenth-Century Art Society, whose inaugural exhibition will be open to the public on the 5th of November.” (“The Tinworth Exhibition,” Times, 8 September 1883, 6.)

 “Nineteenth-Century Art Society, Conduit-street Galleries. – The Inaugural Exhibition Now Open from 10 to 6 daily. Lighted at dusk. Freeman and Marriott, Secs.” (Times, 12 December 1883, 2.)

 “The first five pictures of Mr. [Edwin] Abbey’s series, illustrating “The Quest of the Holy Grail,” have now been temporarily placed in the Conduit-street Galleries, and will be on view from this morning.” (“Art Exhibitions” Times, 21 January 1895, 11.)

 “Ridley Art Club. Ninth Exhibition of Pictures a the Conduit-street Galleries, Bond-street, open till Saturday, inclusive, 10 till 6.” (“To-day,” Times, 3 May 1895, 10.)

“Norwegian Club. Dr. Tempest Anderson on “Iceland and its Volcanoes,” Conduit-street Gallery, W. 8:30.” (“Today’s Arrangements,” Times, 11 November 1897, 3.)

*The dates that appear in the heading are those identified as securely documented “start” and “end” dates when the map animation was created. Additional research has extended the time span that the gallery can be documented at this address.

Unless otherwise noted, the documentation of a gallery’s start and end dates at a location is drawn from listings in The Year’s Art.


How to cite:
Pamela Fletcher and David Israel, London Gallery Project, 2007; Revised September 2012.
http://learn.bowdoin.edu/fletcher/london-gallery/

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