Description

Admin History:

The Royal Institution was built as a joint home for the Hull Subscription Library (founded 1775), Hull’s first public library, and the Hull Literary and Philosophical Society (‘Lit and Phil’, founded 1822), which organised educational lectures and developed a museum.

The site on Albion Street was acquired in 1852 and a new building designed by Hull-born architect Cuthbert Brodrick (1821-1905) who later designed Leeds Town Hall and Scarborough’s Grand Hotel. Its main feature was a colonnade and portico, based on the Louvre in Paris, topped with a statue of Minerva the goddess of Wisdom.

In a major civic ceremony on 17 May 1853 two foundation stones were laid: one for the Subscription Library, by the Earl of Carlisle, and one for the Lit and Phil by Lord Londesborough. The second of these was discovered in the course of construction of the new Community Diagnostic Centre. We knew from newspaper reports that embedded in each stone was a set of newly minted coins and a commemorative parchment recording the names of the principal people at the ceremony and involved in the planning of the building. These are what were found, and we now know that the Lit and Phil foundation stone also included two Chinese coins; sadly, we don’t know why.

The building was complete enough for both organisations to welcome Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, on 14 October 1854. To commemorate his visit the building was named ‘The Royal Institution’.

From 1900 a new art gallery was opened by Kingston upon Hull Corporation (now Hull City Council) in a top-lit first floor extension, and the Lit and Phil’s museum become the Corporation’s responsibility from 1902. The newly appointed curator Tom Sheppard (1876-1945) went on to develop six other museums in Hull. Ownership of the building was transferred to the Corporation in 1910.

The development of further museums, a free public library service and other means of providing training and education meant that the Royal Institution and the Lit and Phil became less relevant in the 20th century. In 1941, after being bombed out of its own premises, department store Thornton Varley moved into the building. Their occupation was short lived. On 24 June 1943 the building was gutted by incendiary bombs.

It was subsequently demolished, and the site levelled, but not before the statue of Minerva had been removed, finding a home in the Museum Gardens on High Street.

In 1988, drainage works on what was now Albion Street carpark unearthed items from the museum collection which what had previously been the Royal Institution basement. An archaeological dig, known as the ‘Phoenix Project’ was undertaken in 1989, and further artefacts were found including pottery, coins and dinosaur bones. A 500cc New Hudson motorbike was also found, once the property of the Royal Institution’s caretaker.

The discovery of the Lit and Phil foundation stone from 1853 is an important piece in the history of the Royal Institution site.

Description:

Parchment commemorating the foundation stone-laying at the Royal Institute including the people present during the ceremony, the price of food and the typical wage of labourers.