Tucked away in Kennington, just south of Elephant & Castle, the Cinema Museum London is a quirky time capsule that takes you back to the golden age of British cinema. Housed in a Victorian workhouse where Charlie Chaplin once lived, this volunteer-run museum celebrates everything about going to the pictures in the 20th century.
I spent two hours here on a guided tour led by Maurice Hardcastle, the self-appointed “last cinema commissionaire in the universe,” sporting a Bisto-brown 1945 commissionaire’s uniform and a magnificent moustache (his own, he assures us). One ground rule: “Please don’t ask me any questions about Brief Encounter. I cannot cope emotionally.”
What to Expect at the Cinema Museum, London
The museum is only accessible by guided tour, which runs for about two hours and includes 30 minutes of short films. Tours are led by dedicated volunteers who bring the collection to life with personal anecdotes and infectious enthusiasm.
Every inch of the Master’s House is crammed with cinema memorabilia: art deco illuminated signs, rows of burgundy velour flip-seats, vintage projectors, automaticket machines, usherette uniforms, film posters and lobby cards. It’s less a traditional museum and more a cabinet of curiosities, where you never know what treasure you’ll spot around the next corner.
Going to the Cinema in the Golden Age
All cinemas of a certain stature had at least one commissionaire at the front door. Their role was to welcome customers, inform them of what was showing, start and finish times, and tell them about the films. Think of them as a well-dressed human trailer.
With cinema being “the great entertainment activity of the 20th century,” as Maurice puts it, queue control was crucial. Every town in Britain had a cinema. London alone had 500 of them at one time. With a light touch of the commissionaire’s iconic white gloves, you were granted admission.
Inside, you’d choose between cheaper stalls tickets or splash the cash for circle seats. At the box office, the automaticket machine spat out your ticket with a satisfying “ding”. Before World War I, metal tokens were used instead of paper; each ticket class had a different shape so the usherette could distinguish them in the dark.
The usherette tore your ticket in half, threading the stub onto a piece of string, before guiding you to your seat with her torch.
Continuous Performances
For the first half of the 20th century, cinemas ran continuous performances from 2 pm until 10 pm, showing films on a loop. People could come and go at any point. Auditoriums were packed to the gills, and you could only bag a seat when someone left.
This meant some people watched the end of a movie before the beginning. As Maurice told us: “Mother and father would be sitting in the auditorium with two children. When they got to the middle of the film they would say, ‘Right kids. This is where we came in,’ and up and leave.”
The projectionist was king. His role – and it was always a “he” – was a skilled one, requiring five years of training.
Each reel of film lasted 12 – 15 minutes; a 90-minute film would have six of these. A flickering blob on the top right corner of the screen would tell him that the reel was about to end, prompting him to switch to another projector.
The Smoking Years
Smoking was rampant in cinemas for most of the 20th century. Cinemas tried seating smokers in one area (the smoke just drifted) or using fans (which actively moved smoke to non-smokers). Usherettes liberally sprayed the auditorium with Florodol, a “highly concentrated essence with antiseptic and disinfectant properties” to disguise the smell.
In 1987, the ABC chain banned smoking in its cinemas, 20 years before the UK Government’s public smoking ban. Other cinemas quickly followed suit.
The Building: Lambeth Workhouse and Charlie Chaplin
The Cinema Museum has done a fantastic job preserving every aspect of 20th-century cinema-going. But the building itself tells another story.
This Grade 2 listed building, dating from 1871, was the administration block of the Lambeth Workhouse. Workhouses, epitomised in Dickens’ Oliver Twist and Little Dorrit, were effectively a punishment for being poor. The neediest in society had to work hard to live in squalor and be fed next to nothing.
Charlie Chaplin, one of London’s most famous sons, spent his formative years in this workhouse when his mother faced destitution. He never forgot his background and recreated Kennington life on the cinema screen, most notably in his 1915 film The Tramp.
The museum has an impressive range of Chaplin memorabilia alongside vintage equipment, including 16mm and 35mm projectors, arc lamps, sound systems, illuminated art deco signs and banks of burgundy velour flip-seats. There are publications including fan magazines, lobby cards and film posters.
Most of these treasures are from the personal collection of Ronald Grant, the co-founder, who started collecting at age 15. Together with Martin Humphries, he established the museum in 1986 to safeguard their future.
Visitor Information
Address: The Cinema Museum, 2 Dugard Way (off Renfrew Road), Kennington, London SE11 4TH
Getting There: Elephant & Castle station (Bakerloo and Northern lines) is about a 10-minute walk away.
Tours & Tickets: Guided tours must be booked in advance by email or phone. Check the museum’s website for dates and contact details. Admission is £15 (£12 concessions). Tours last around two hours and include 30 minutes of short films.
Where to Eat: For freshly-made vegetarian food before or after your visit, head next door to Jamyang Buddhist Centre (43 Renfrew Road).
The Cinema Museum is a labour of love, run by volunteers who are trying to buy their historic building to secure its future. It’s an absolute gem for film buffs, nostalgia lovers or anyone curious about British social history. Just don’t mention Brief Encounter.
About Bridget
Bridget Coleman is a Londoner who has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.