History of Kilburn and West Hampstead

Surprisingly, Kilburn has had nine cinemas in the last 110 years, or ten if we include the Queens Park Electric in Salusbury Road, but today there is only one. The early days of cinema It is generally agreed that the first moving pictures in this county were shown in London in 1896. The early shows were given in ‘Penny Gaffs’ often with just a sheet hung in a converted shop. In December 1897, the large Bon Marche draper’s shop near Kilburn’s main line station, hosted what was probably the first moving picture display in the neighbourhood. They advertised, ‘The Cinematograph, animated photographs’ at the cost of one penny. They were showing early film of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebration parade which was held on the 22 June 1897 and The Two Macs, a comedy act. Bon Marche next to the Kilburn and Maida Vale Station Six-year old Charles Landstone who lived locally at 32 Plympton Road went along. Remembering the event he said, ‘I, of course, had no idea w...