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

Lockerbie bench - 09 - Larracoechea

Lockerbie bench - 09 - Larracoechea

TW9, Kew Gardens

We have numbered these 17 plaques, anti-clockwise, starting from the plaque for the whole crew which faces the water. Oddly, the last two...

2 subjects commemorated
Albert Bridge - troops

Albert Bridge - troops

SW11, Albert Bridge

In 1831 the Broughton Suspension Bridge collapsed as a troop of 74 men marched across. Investigations put this down to the effects of mec...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Building survived the Great Fire

Building survived the Great Fire

WC2, Strand, 229-230

Londonist points out how important correct use of English can be: "This was not the only Strand building to survive the Great Fire... the...

1 subject commemorated
Gladstone

Gladstone

SW1, Carlton House Terrace, 11

2015: The histories of nos 10 and 11, now occupied by the British Academy, are covered by an excellent Londonist post. There we learn t...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Polish government in exile

Polish government in exile

SW1, Eaton Place, 43

See Musee de la Resistance for more information on this memorial (in French).

1 subject commemorated