Archive Evening 2023 - 17 April
Monday, 17 April 2023
Archive Exhibition
Zoom link for virtual attendance:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OXSvek6-QLyPAsAsKHkizg
Celebrating the 350th Anniversary of our Hall
Unearthing the Hall's Hidden History through Stories from the Archives
2023 marks the 350th anniversary of Stationers’ Hall and its rebuilding after Abergavenny House was destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666. The Hall is a piece of living architecture that has survived because it, and the Company, has adapted to changing demands over the centuries. The 17th century Company needed a Hall to function as both a business and social space. In some ways the Fire forced the Company to review what was needed, and rebuilding was completed relatively quickly as the Court records show. The reconstruction was done in some style and the post-Fire Hall and associated buildings functioned well right into the 20th century, despite the bomb damage to the Hall and Court Room.
The imaginative and stylish modern renovations that opened in 2022 complete a cycle of enhancement and continuing innovation. Our panel will explore stories about the key players and personalities that have shaped our Hall and the site since the Great Fire.
From Sir Thomas Davies, the first Stationer Lord Mayor and Pepys’ bookseller to Samuel Mearne, bookbinder to Charles II, with other members of the Committee for Building, learn about how the Hall has survived, how it was used and how it was built and rebuilt through the stories of the people that made it happen – all fascinating characters in contemporary Restoration London business and society.
There will be an exhibition of items from the Company Archives curated by the Company Archivist. Attendees will each receive a printed keepsake illustrating the unique timeline of the history of the Hall.
The Panel will include:
Under Warden Paul Wilson
Liveryman Dr David Pearson
Liveryman Julian Venables
Liveryman Margaret Willes
Stationers' Company Archivist Dr Ruth Frendo
Schedule:
5.30 pm Exhibition opens and drinks reception
7.00 pm Presentations and panel discussion
8.30 pm Drinks and buffet
9.30 pm Exhibition ends
Ticket Cost: £35
£0 for virtual attendance (the stream will start at 7.00pm and finish at approximately 8.30pm)
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OXSvek6-QLyPAsAsKHkizg