Basic Site Details

Name: Princes Cinema
City or county: Edinburgh
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status:  
Grid ref:
Notes: A cinema-house in Princes Street, Edinburgh, was opened on Monday night. The Princes Cinema is a combination of bijou theatre and café with theatre balcony, providing fauteuil seating for an audience of 500 persons. The auditorium, which is 100 feet long has panelled plaster walls, high curved ceiling and ornamental proscenium front. The architect is Mr R M Cameron of Edinburgh and the outlay has been £3,000. [Building News 20 September 1912 p416]

Mr Alister G MacDonald ARIBA 14 John Street London WC2 and Edinburgh is to prepare plans for the conversion of the Prince’s Cinema, Princes-street into a news theatre for Associated News Theatres Limited, Dashwood House, Old Broad-street, EC2. [Builder 18 October 1935 Page 697]

Now part of a shop.

Alternative Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:
 NameCurrent name?Notes
Item 1 of 3GapYesCurrently part of a Gap store
Item 2 of 3Jacey Cinema From 1964 to 1973
Item 3 of 3Monseigneur News Theatre From 1935 to 1964

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 2Cinema  
Item 2 of 2Shop  

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:
 AddressMain entrance?Notes
Item 1 of 1131, Princes StreetYes 

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 6September 1912 Opened 
Item 2 of 61917  Alterations
Item 3 of 61935 ReconstructionRemodelled as Monseigneur News Theatre
Item 4 of 61964  Reconstructed as Jacey
Item 5 of 61973  Closed as cinema
Item 6 of 61975 Alteration/conversionConversion from cinema to shop.

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 7Robert Macfarlane Cameron  1912 Architect for original cinema
Item 2 of 7James Jerdan & Son B1917 Alterations
Item 3 of 7John Jerdan B1917 Alterations
Item 4 of 7Alister Gladstone MacDonald (or Alistair Gladstone MacDonald) C1935 Reconstruction as Monseigneur News Theatre
Item 5 of 7Kenneth Donald D1975 Conversion from cinema to shop. Partner in charge and job architect
Item 6 of 7Philip Cocker & Partners D1975 Conversion from cinema to shop
Item 7 of 7Philip Stanley Cocker D1975 Conversion from cinema to shop.

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:
 NameNotes
Item 1 of 2Associated British News Theatres LimitedClient for 1935 reconstruction
Item 2 of 2Property Units TrustClient for 1975 conversion.

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2www.scottishcinemas.org.uk www.scottishcinemas.org.uk Scottish Cinemas website and databaseDatabase accessed April 2006
Item 2 of 2Young, Cy The Rise and Fall of the News Theatres   

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Builder18 October 1935  p697
Item 2 of 3Building News20 September 1912  p416 - opening of the original cinema
Item 3 of 3Kinematograph Weekly19357  

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 3Courtesy of Neil DarlingtonInformation sent via DSA website Sent June 2009
Item 2 of 3Courtesy of Philip CockerInformation sent via DSA website, November 2009  
Item 3 of 3Shona Adam, Granddaughter of John JerdanJames Jerdan & Son Office Ledger