Queen's Arcade: Donegall Place entrance in 2024 (Timothy Ferres) |
QUEEN'S ARCADE, Belfast, runs from Donegall Place to Fountain Street.
Queen's Arcade: Fountain Street entrance in 2024 (Timothy Ferres) |
Marcus Patton OBE, in his invaluable Central Belfast: A Historical Gazetteer, provides this apt description:-
Long shopping arcade from Donegall Place to Fountain Street, built in 1880 for George Fisher of the Castle Restaurant to designs by James MacKinnon, with new shopfronts inserted 1932 by Sage of London.
Two-storey arcade with pitched, glazed roof carried on perforated iron trusses with pannelled barrel soffits; first-floor windows semicircular with spoke divisions; cornice above first floor with richly-carved floral ornament.
A stone door-case survives near the Donegall Place entrance.
New canopies added at both ends ca 1987.The Queen's Café bar has operated in the Arcade continuously since 1901.
In 1890 it was described as "at once fashionable as a promenade and highly attractive as a business thoroughfare," containing "upwards of thirty finely fitted shops;" but the existing shops are all modern.
A monogram "AR" on third floor level at the Donegall Place facade alludes to Austin Reed Ltd, which came to the arcade in 1935.
At the apex of the gable is a fanciful model of a fantasy castle, possibly an allusion to the original Belfast Castle which stood across the street.
Donegall Place Entrance |
HERE is a list of the tenants in 1910, including five milliners, two tailors, one confectioner's shop and one café:-
1-3 Wm Dickson & Co, Manufacturers of Umbrellas & Walking-Sticks
5 The Irish Art Depot ~ Miss S Burke
7-9 The Queen's Linen Company
11 Mrs Smith, Milliner
13 The Ulster Dairy Company
15 Miss Holmes, Milliner
17 P F Gulbransen, Watchmaker
19 Ladies' Blouse Depot ~ Miss Spence
21-23 Letitia Mayes, Milliner
25 Mills' Lending Library
27-29 Mrs Snugg, Milliner
31 S Bamford, Merchant Tailor
*************
2 Side door
4-6 The Queen's Café
8-10 Miss Hanna, Costumier and Ladies' Tailor
12 S I Cronne, Milliner
14 The Vienna Photographic Art Co ~ W L Allison, proprietor
16 Miss Nicholson, Boot, Shoe & Slipper Warehouse
18 Universal Knitting Machine Company
20 Howden & P H Charley ~ Coal Merchants
22 Miss Beresford, Milliner
24 North of Ireland Loan Bank ~ J Lamont, Manager
26 Miss Mary Bill, Confectioner
Let us hope that Mrs Snugg lived up to her name.
First published in October, 2012.
3 comments :
In a former career, you may have attended the Banker's Club. The entrance was to the right of the donegall Place Arcade entrance and it occupied a couple of floors from the middle to the back of the arcade.
Oh how marvellous, I can conjure up all sorts of window displays and fanciful images in my mind's eye!Linda
Had many a drink in the bankers club (IBOA) when it was above the Queens Arcade. It is now located @ Belfast Banker's Club. 31 Malone Road, Belfast BT9 6RU. Good times were had in both premises!!!
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