The Albion Hotel
It seems like they brought the roof-top sign with them from the hotel in Piccadilly.
John J Parkinson-Bailey, in
"Manchester - An Architectural
History", says that "In 1770 there was only
one stagecoach to London and one to Liverpool, and these ran twice a
week, but by 1816 there were seventy
district coaches; fifty-four set out every day and sixteen others three
times a week. Trade between London and the provinces were
increasingly rapidly, and hotels sprang up on Market Street and at the
top of Mosley Street to cater for travellers."
One of these hotels was The Albion Hotel (indicated by the red arrow above) on the corner of Oldham Street and Piccadilly. In the image above the hotel occupies the first building from the left and the upper floors of the building next door.
The Albion Hotel, on the corner of Oldham Street, was
demolished to make way for the new Woolworth's store in 1928."
One of these hotels was The Albion Hotel (indicated by the red arrow above) on the corner of Oldham Street and Piccadilly. In the image above the hotel occupies the first building from the left and the upper floors of the building next door.
Among the references I have
found to the Albion Hotel were two related to the founding of
organizations. In November 1893 at a meeting of founder members
of the Institution of Electrical Engineers at the Albion Hotel,
Piccadilly, a draft constitution for the new Society was approved and
this date marks the inauguration of the Northern Society of Electrical
Engineers. The founder President was Dr John Hopkinson FRS, a
distinguished Mancunian and a past President of the IEE in
London.
On 17 November 1906, an historic meeting was held in the Albion Hotel,
Piccadilly, Manchester, when 70 journalists agreed to start a national
campaign for a journalists' union, which became the NUJ. The
Manchester Branch of the Rotary Club had their innaugral meeting there
too and used the hotel as a regular meeting venue. In one account
of the hotel the writer referred to the Albion as "the white
hotel. In the image below you can see it in that white condition.
The hotel can be seen again second from the left below.
The hotel can be seen again second from the left below.
The images below, shown with
the permission of English
Heritage, offer you a glimpse inside of the Albion Hotel.
In the image below, probably
taken in the 1920s or 1390s, you can see The Albion Hotel but not in
Piccadilly in Market Street between High Street and New Brown Street.
It seems like they brought the roof-top sign with them from the hotel in Piccadilly.