Grand Master Board (1931)
Strand
Grand Master
The first was installed in Halifax, second at The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. A standard board was around 56 ways.
The largest was 130 control channels controlling 175 dimmers at the Royal Opera House in London (1934).
One of the last to be installed was the 90 way Grand Master for the Opera House Blackpool in 1938. It was 13ft.6ins wide and 7ft.10ins high (4.1m x 2.38m) and was sited on a platform in the prompt corner. Two operators were usually necessary.
The Grand Master at the Bristol Hippodrome was installed in 1948 and in regular use until it was replaced by a Duet in 1980 (see journal article 'Farewell Old Friend' for full details)
Related Venues:
- Alexandra Palace
- Ambassadors Theatre
- Tivoli Theatre, Aberdeen
- Brighton Hippodrome
- Fortune Theatre, London
- Birmingham Hippodrome
- Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
- Hackney Empire
- Duchess Theatre
- Duke of Yorks Theatre
- Palace Theatre, London
- Empire Theatre, Liverpool
- Phoenix Theatre
- Theatre Royal, Newcastle
- Vaudeville Theatre
- Victoria Palace Theatre
- Wimbledon Theatre
- Winter Garden Theatre, New York
- Wyndhams Theatre
- Shepherds Bush Empire
- Bristol Hippodrome
- Blackpool Opera House
- Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford upon Avon
- Royal Court Liverpool
- St James Theatre
- Leeds Grand Theatre
- Prince of Wales Theatre, London
- Gaumont State Theatre, Kilburn
- Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- Odeon Leicester Square
- New Theatre, Oxford
- Kings Theatre Southsea
- Windmill Theatre, Great Yarmouth
- Grand Opera House, Belfast
Documents
Photo: Grand Master at Liverpool Royal Court Theatre featuring Charlie Bristow
Click on thumbnail to enlarge
[599kb JPEG]
From Frederick Brown Collection
Photo: Grand Master Switchboard (Unknown Location)
Click on thumbnail to enlarge
[700kb JPEG]
From Frederick Brown Collection
Strand Electric quote for Grand Master vs Electronic at St Martins (February 1952)
[1.2Mb PDF]
From David Bertenshaw Collection
1953 Theatrical Lighting - Control (1953)
Some typical dimmer board installations - Grand Master
From Bob Anderson Collection
LSI: Classic Gear - Strand Grand Master (February 2013)
[External Website]
From Lighting & Sound International
Exhibits in the Backstage Heritage Collection
Catalogue & Journal Entries for Grand Master Board in the Backstage Heritage Collection
Back to Control - Direct (Strand)
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