Surrey Institution
Not on view
Intended to encourage a knowledge of science, music and literature, the Surrey Instituion was founded by private subscription in 1807, modeled on the Royal Institution which had been in existence since 1799. Suitable premises were found in the Rotunda Building, south of the Thames, close to the Surrey side of Blackfriars Bridge. Joseph T. Parkinson was employed to renovate the decayed structure, and the results were a lecture hall that seated 500 (seen here), lending library and reading room, chemical lab, collection of philosophical apparatus and committee rooms. These opened in May 1808, shortly before the publication of Rowlandson and Pugin's print, with the costs borne by 458 subscribing members who each contributed 30 pounds. By 1810 the library contained 5000 volumes, but enthusiasm waned and the organization dissolved in 1823.
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