Plaque

Marconi - WC2

Inscription

Marconi House

Within this building Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company Limited operated their famous broadcasting station 2.L.O. from May 11th to November 14th 1922 when it became the first station of the British Broadcasting Company.

The first pre-announced broadcast of public entertainment took place two years earlier when Dame Nellie Melba sang from Marconi's Chelmsford Works on June 15th 1920.

Site: Marconi - WC2 (1 memorial)

WC2, Strand, 335, Marconi House

Marconi House was built in 1904 as the Gaiety Restaurant, linked with the Gaiety Theatre which was in the building to the west.   The Marconi Company moved into a suite of offices here in 1912, and it became their administration centre. In the 1950's the company, including this building, was acquired by English Electric. Prior to 2005 it was the Marconi Wing of Citibank House (which was on the site previously occupied by the theatre).  These two were rebuilt at the same time (during the recession so it took until 2012).  The theatre site became the ME Hotel.  The frontage of Marconi House was retained and the building seems now to be apartments.   Arthur Lloyd has some very interesting photographs, including one of the original plaque which referred to the room from which station 2LO broadcast.  The wording on the new plaque does not mention the room because, of course, that room no longer exists, having been demolished, by the people who replaced the plaque.  Mmm.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Marconi - WC2

Subjects commemorated i

British Broadcasting Corporation

Also known as the BBC or more affectionately, the Beeb.  Founded as the Briti...

Read More

Guglielmo Marconi

Born Bologna. Arrived in London, with his mother, in 1896 to patent his metho...

Read More

Dame Nellie Melba

Operatic soprano. Born Helen "Nellie" Porter Mitchell in Melbourne, Australia...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Guildhall School of Music - Gibbons

Guildhall School of Music - Gibbons

EC4, John Carpenter Street

This complex of buildings was created to house the Guildhall School of Music, who had outgrown their premises at Aldermanbury. Designed b...

1 subject commemorated
Vaughan Library

Vaughan Library

HA1, High Street, Vaughan Library

The plaque is not actually visible in our photo. It is low down below the railings behind the red car. Scott also built the 1855 Harrow S...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Meiklejohn

Meiklejohn

SW7, South Carriage Drive, Hyde Park Barracks

Not related to the Meiklejohn story at all: the Model Villager has a great post about how the horse dung was (possibly still is) removed ...

1 subject commemorated
Peacock Inn

Peacock Inn

N1, Islington High Street, 11

A London Inheritance gives: "The large brick building was the final version of the Peacock and dates from 1931. The small building on the...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Bonner Street WW1 memorial

Bonner Street WW1 memorial

E2, Hartley Street, Bonner Steet Primary School

Mace Street and Tagg Street were two Victorian streets on the east side of Bonner Street, now lost to the Cranbrook Estate. This 1893 map...

War dead | WW1
27 subjects commemorated