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Construction underway of the New Empress, Brixton, in an Art Deco style and at a cost of £150,000. Designed by Andrew Mather, it opened in October 1931, being used for variety, musical and other plays, revues and 'even talkies'. In March 1934, jazz musician Louis Armstrong performed here - he 'plays his trumpet like no one else in the world can, sings into the microphone, rushes all over the stage, perspiring mightily and using up a large quantity of white handkerchiefs' (Brixton Free Press). Later it was converted to use as a Bingo Hall, but was demolished in the late 1990s and replaced by a block of flats, despite a campaign to save it.

Details
Collection:
Image type:	Print
Artist:
Ref:	11191
Identifier:	LBL/DAS/RL/1/2/4/103
Date:	1931

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