The George IV pub on LSE’s campus has kept the School’s community well fed and watered over the years, writes LSE curator Daniel Brambilla-Payne. A recent refurbishment includes a display of images from across LSE Library’s archives.
Built in 1899 and once owned by Hoare & Co, the George IV pub freehold is now held by LSE and has recently been enhanced with a fascinating display of images from LSE Library’s archives. These images can be found both by the bar and in the upstairs Beaver’s Retreat function room, offering a glimpse into the Library’s rich collections and institutional history.
Beware of false statements about the Licensing Bill
By the bar you’ll find this poster, published in 1908 by the Liberal Party. This refers to a controversial Bill introduced by the Liberal Government to reduce the number of pubs and place tighter controls on licensing. It faced fierce backlash from the alcohol industry and was eventually vetoed by the Conservative-dominant House of Lords. This was part of what led to the Parliament Act of 1911, which removed the House of Lords’ ability to veto money bills, and only allowed it to delay public bills for a maximum of two years.
George Lansbury
Brian Hunter
An iconic and aspirational photograph for many current LSE Library staff, this photograph shows former colleague Brian Hunter sipping a cocktail and puffing on a cigar on one of LSE’s rooftops. Rumours abound that current members of Library staff continue to do this in his name but no photographic evidence has emerged to back this up.
Wendy Butcher, current member of Library staff, remembers working with Brian at the time, and thinks this photograph was likely taken when Brian was celebrating his performance in one of LSE Library’s mummers plays, which took place amongst the book stacks. This photograph shows Brian on the left attacking fellow librarian Vic Biswell whilst a deceased St George the Dragon looks on from the floor.
I remember Brian as quite a free thinker with a very dry wit. He was very friendly and had a loud, rich voice.
Francesca Ward, LSE Library staff
Brian was known to take a random selection of old catalogue cards to Lincoln’s Inn Fields on warm days to check them for inaccuracies. Fluent in Russian, Brian was Assistant Librarian of the Slavonic Collections. Together with colleague Graham Camfield, he is largely responsible for the richness of the Library’s Russian collections.
Tariff reform and free trade
Many of the posters on display in the pub come from the Library’s collection of political and tariff reform posters, from roughly 1880 to 1910. These have all been digitised and you can view them on the LSE Digital Library here.
Although not listed, the likely publisher of this poster was the Tariff Reform League, which is associated with Joseph Chamberlain. He wanted to impose tariffs on foreign imports to protect British industry and agriculture from cheaper foreign foods to promote trade within the British empire. Free Trade, in his view, led to the decline of British industry. By imposing tariffs this would bring “grist” to the “mill” and regenerate British industry.
Not everyone agreed with this view of tariffs. This poster warns the viewer not to be fooled by the tricks (the “hanky panky”) of the Government who were proposing tariff reform. Conservative politician and Prime Minister Arthur Balfour is depicted as a magician with Joseph Chamberlain peeking behind the table, suggesting complicity with the “trick”.
Balfour pulls out a goose labelled “Tax on Food”, referencing the rise in prices tariff reform would bring to food. It’s a lovely image of Edwardian satire that critiques the Conservatives for misleading the public, and was followed by a Liberal landslide in the 1906 General Election.
Published by the Imperial Tariff Committee (later superseded the Tariff Reform League), this beautifully-detailed poster shows a Free Trade Shop selling all sorts of imported goods, whilst an unemployed British man looks on presumably unable to afford anything in the shop. In the background men march carrying the banner “We Want Work”.
Beatrice Webb
Appearing twice in the pub is Beatrice Webb, one of the co-founders of LSE. Read more about Beatrice here: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsehistory/2019/01/22/beatrice-webb/
Students
Traces of past students also adorn the walls of the pub, reflecting the pub’s enduring role in student’s time here. Eva-Maria Asari, LSE graduate, recalls in this oral history meeting students and staff in the George IV.
You’ll notice a large LSE sign hanging behind the bar, which originally appeared on the side of a train. It got there via the initiative of past LSE students Jonathan Bray and Christopher Zarebski (pictured above). Former LSE Director I.G. Patel explains the signs in his introduction to the LSE Calendars of 1986.
“…an event unique even in the history of an institution such as this. At a ceremony in Euston Station, Sir Huw Wheldon unveiled a plaque on British Rail Inter City Class 86 locomotive 86 421; it now carries the name “London School of Economics”. The occasion owed much to the initiative of Jonathan Bray and Christopher Zarebski of the Students’ Union Transport Society, and the good offices of Professor Michael Wise; it paid tribute to the long-standing contribution of the School to transport studies”
I G Patel
Other students that adorn the walls include Kathleen Libby, an officer of the Students Union from 1934 to 1935, and a group of unidentified students in a Social Planning Course in 1984.
The images on display at the George IV are just a small selection from LSE Library’s extensive archive collections. Whether you’re interested in political posters, student life, or social reformers like Beatrice Webb and George Lansbury, there’s much more to explore.
How to use LSE Library archives for your research
Browse the full collection online via the LSE Digital Library, or get in touch with the Library at library.enquiries@lse.ac.uk to find out more about accessing and using our other archives and special collections for your own research project.
