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216:(for example, dividing the costs of transporting the film reels themselves, and offering joint screenings to the showmen who hired them). The earlier businesses tended to be "one-stop shops"—filmmakers and dealers in films and equipment. From 1907, this new wave of businesses were often more specialised: dealers in the import and distribution of foreign films, or specialists in film rental or equipment alone. One business specialised in cinema confectionery, and for a time the trade periodical
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56:, Cecil Court dates to the end of the 17th century and earlier maps clearly identify a hedgerow running down the street's course. A tradesman's route at its inception, it much later acquired the nickname "Flicker Alley" from the concentration of early film companies in the Court. It is now known as home to about a dozen antiquarian and second-hand independent
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Cecil Court's importance has been frequently cited by filmmakers and historians. It was the location for the UK's first concentration of film-related businesses, which were almost exclusively new companies, bringing new skills to the industry and sharing products, resources, information and clientele
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commemorating Mozart's relatively brief, but significant, period of residence in the street. The plaque sits at Number 9 Cecil Court, which—contrary to earlier assumptions placing the Mozart lodgings at Number 19—has been confirmed as the site of John Couzin's barber shop. Cecil Court bookseller Tim
101:
A substantial part of Cecil Court was razed to the ground in 1735, almost certainly arson on the part of a tenant, Mrs. Colloway, who was running a brandy shop/brothel in the street at the time: she purchased kindling, emptied her brandy barrels, over-insured her stock and made certain that she was
453:
In July 2010, Tenderpixel
Gallery organised the Flicker Alley Festival in Cecil Court, which celebrated the heritage of early British cinema. Vinyl stickers in the style of blue heritage plaques were put on shop windows across the court, indicating which productions companies were located in each
187:
Centre for
British Film and Television Studies, searchable online as part of the London Project. Arising from this, the street is sometimes called "Flicker Alley". The first film-related company arrived in Cecil Court in 1897, a year after the first demonstration of moving pictures in the United
60:, including specialists in modern first editions, collectible children's books, early printing, rare maps and atlases, antique prints, music, and esoterica, as well as art galleries, an antiques shop, shops specialising in antique silver,
833:
The official website for the street, organised by the Cecil Court
Association, gives details of most of the bookshops and other businesses on Cecil Court today, with articles about the history of the street, news and forthcoming
503:'Pleasures of Past Times', opened by David Drummond in 1967, who was for a time the longest-serving bookseller in Cecil Court. In later years it was run by his son Paul, and it closed in 2019. Currently (2023) Art Deco Gallery.
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in 1764. For almost four months, the Mozart family lodged with barber John Couzin. Tickets for Mozart's first London concerts were sold from Couzin's shop and, while living there, the young Mozart performed twice for
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In 1946, Griffs
Bookshop, which specialised in Welsh writing in English and Welsh-language literature, was set up by William Griffiths and his brothers at 4 Cecil Court. William Griffiths was originally from
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Cecil Court was an important focus of the early
British cinema industry, with over forty entries to be found in the database of the study of the film business in London, 1894–1914, organised by the
840:, a major study of the film business in London, 1894–1914, organised by the AHRB Centre for British Film and Television Studies has a searchable database, useful for researching 'Flicker Alley'.
491:
probably circa 2010; Stephen Poole's bookshop is being renovated in the foreground, and first editions specialist Nigel
Williams passed away at the early age of 48 on Christmas Eve 2010.
361:, the oldest bookshop in London to specialise in esoterica, has the longest continuous business history on the street, having occupied its current premises at 21 Cecil Court since 1901.
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denied that there is any connection: "I'm laughing here... I had no idea how many streets were claiming to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley... based on any real place".
139:. According to some modern authorities, Mozart composed his first symphony while a resident of Cecil Court. In September 2011, the Cecil Court Traders' Association installed a
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Bryars consulted original source material, including the parish rate books of the time and a number of antique maps, to establish where in the street the young Mozart lived.
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406:, was identified and caught within days (he confessed and was hanged) following the circulation of identikit pictures—the first case to be solved using identikit in the UK.
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and renowned as a trailblazing spymaster. However, it seems to be one of a number of nearby streets and places that have been named after the land-owning family including
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The street is still owned by the Cecil family and the buildings one can see today were laid out c. 1894 during the tenure of long-serving
British Prime Minister
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Kingdom and a decade before London's first purpose-built cinema opened its doors. The street was renowned as the place to buy or hire a film in
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In
December 2012, Simon Callow returned to Cecil Court to unveil a plaque celebrating "Flicker Alley" and the street's significant role in the
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The US-based
Flicker Alley home video and film distribution company, founded in 2002, is named as a homage to Cecil Court's history.
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In March 1961, Elsie Batten, a 59-year-old assistant in an antique shop at 23 Cecil Court, was stabbed to death. Her murderer,
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London, associated with many of the most important film-makers and distributors in early cinema. Home-grown pioneers including
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The print shop 'T Alena Brett', formerly 'Alan Brett', which closed circa 2015, currently (2023) part of Panter & Hall.
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In the 1930s, Cecil Court became a well known meeting place for Jewish refugees, which in 1983–84 inspired
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The street is sometimes used as a location by film companies. On film, Cecil Court bookshops feature in
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The street is sometimes nicknamed "Booksellers' Row"; an earlier "Booksellers' Row" existed at
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Cecil Court is one of several locations which has been touted as an inspiration for
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film (Hepworth, 1903) was screened in
Tenderpixel Gallery with live musical accompaniment.
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drinking nearby with friends at the time the fire took hold. However, she was acquitted.
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300:(2019). Bookshops set in Cecil Court feature briefly in a number of novels, such as
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Simon Callow unveiling the 'Flicker Alley' plaque in Cecil Court in December 2012
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The street rose from the ashes to become the temporary home of an eight-year-old
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address between 1900 and 1915. Several lectures were organised, and the first
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681:"Flicker Alley: Cecil Court and the Emergence of the British Film Industry"
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unveiling the Mozart commemorative plaque in Cecil Court in September 2011
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had their offices there; but so did international companies including
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852:"walk" down the street. (There is no Google Streetview alternative.)
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advertisement in Cecil Court. The character was played by the actor
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Booksellers William and Gilbert Foyle, founders of the world-famous
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which it is quite possible might have been composed in Cecil Court.
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44:. Since the 1930s, it has been known as the new Booksellers' Row.
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Cecil Court on a weekday afternoon, a photograph taken circa 2005.
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254:(opened in 1977 as the Silver Jubilee Walkway). The nearest
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was published at number 7 between March 1897 and July 1900.
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has a full account of the Cecil Court antique shop murder.
155:. The ceremony was accompanied with music from members of
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Pedestrian street with Victorian shop-frontages in London
765:"J.K. Rowling Debunks 'Harry Potter' Inspiration Claims"
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Cecil Court appeared in the 1 December 2010 episode of
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In 2006, Cecil Court was a location for the filming of
82:, the 1st Earl of Salisbury, an important courtier to
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It has been suggested that the street was named after
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928:Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
889:
619:, Stanford University Press, pp. 32, 34–6,
321:franchise. When asked directly in 2020, author
248:Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
36:shop-frontages in Westminster, England, linking
563:, University of California Press, p. 17,
785:The Story of Charing Cross and its Environs,
147:The plaque was unveiled by actor and author
908:Independent bookshops of the United Kingdom
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135:and was tested for his musical ability by
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923:Pedestrian streets in the United Kingdom
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591:, W. W. Norton & Company, pp.
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179:"Flicker Alley" plaque in Cecil Court
68:, porcelain, jewellery and art deco.
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250:. Today, Cecil Court is part of the
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898:Streets in the City of Westminster
52:One of the older thoroughfares in
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587:Mozart, the Early Years 1756-1781
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220:was published from number 8.
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153:the role of Amadeus on stage
32:is a pedestrian street with
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662:"The London Project -Home"
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421:filmed part of its famous
342:, was born in Cecil Court.
75:, demolished circa 1900.
747:"Filming in Cecil Court"
640:"History of Cecil Court"
918:Bookstore neighborhoods
583:Sadie, Stanley (2005),
161:City of London Sinfonia
124:Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
106:Association with Mozart
73:Holywell Street, London
559:Cairns, David (2006),
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180:
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26:
850:"Virtual" Cecil Court
561:Mozart and his Operas
285:84 Charing Cross Road
236:British film industry
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128:he was touring Europe
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874:51.51056°N 0.12750°W
814:16 July 2011 at the
679:Simon Brown (2007).
650:on 23 November 2018.
383:, a work now in the
913:Bookshops in London
870: /
796:Low, David (1973):
457:Alice in Wonderland
879:51.51056; -0.12750
838:The London Project
489:Charing Cross Road
417:directory company
370:Charing Cross Road
266:In popular culture
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210:American Vitagraph
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157:Opera Holland Park
137:Dr. Charles Burney
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38:Charing Cross Road
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721:filmlondon.org.uk
687:. pp. 21–33.
626:978-0-8047-0233-1
602:978-0-393-06112-3
570:978-0-520-22898-6
487:Cecil Court from
397:Richard Llewellyn
329:Other information
165:London Sketchbook
84:Queen Elizabeth I
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279:The Human Factor
260:Leicester Square
198:James Williamson
96:St Martin's Lane
88:Cranbourn Street
48:Early background
42:St Martin's Lane
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419:Yellow Pages
393:Gilfach Goch
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347:Aestheticist
340:David Wilkie
319:Harry Potter
315:Diagon Alley
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307:Broken Homes
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831:Cecil Court
442:, starring
439:Miss Potter
423:Fly Fishing
413:commercial
387:Collection.
349:periodical
294:(2006) and
291:Miss Potter
258:station is
256:Underground
242:Present-day
66:numismatics
30:Cecil Court
892:Categories
862:51°30′38″N
800:, pp 16–20
521:References
404:Edwin Bush
377:R.B. Kitaj
865:0°07′39″W
666:bbk.ac.uk
415:telephone
379:to paint
334:In 1776,
190:Edwardian
62:militaria
58:bookshops
34:Victorian
812:Archived
372:in 1906.
352:The Dome
288:(1987),
282:(1979),
276:(1961),
159:and the
834:events.
699:"About"
544:16 July
474:Gallery
411:British
317:in the
206:Nordisk
202:Gaumont
94:pub on
770:Forbes
623:
599:
567:
366:Foyles
273:Victim
208:, and
141:plaque
126:while
114:Actor
733:2011
621:ISBN
597:ISBN
593:64–5
565:ISBN
546:2019
446:and
385:Tate
345:The
196:and
185:AHRB
90:and
40:and
425:by
304:'s
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
