Argyle Rooms

The Argyll Rooms (sometimes spelled Argyle) was an entertainment venue on Little Argyll Street, Regent Street, London, England, opened in 1806. It was rebuilt in 1818 due to the design of Regent Street. It burned down in 1830, but was rebuilt, but later mainly occupied by shops. It was the home of the Philharmonic Society of London from its inception in 1813 until 1830.

The Argyll Rooms should not be confused with the Argyle Subscription Rooms, later part of the London Trocadero. These rooms were open as a music hall from 1849 to 1878 and were notorious as a haven for prostitutes.

Originally, the mansion of John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll stood on the east side of King Street. In 1736, the center part of the mansion was demolished to build Little Argyll Street, leaving only the recently constructed north and south wings. The north wing was subsequently occupied by Robert Raymond, 2nd Baron Raymond (1744–1757) and Lady Monoux (1757–71) before being bought by William Jolliffe (MP for Petersfield) for reputedly a low price.

At Jolliffe's death, his son Hylton sold the building to Lt.-Col. Henry Francis Greville for the low price of £70. Greville altered and added to it, and in 1806 opened it up as the "Argyll Rooms." The place was the site of the meetings of a fashionable association termed the Pic-Nics, which organized events including burlettas, vaudevilles and ballets on a small scale. In 1807, the Lord Chamberlain granted Greville an annual license to host music, dancing, burlettas, and dramatic performances at the Argyll Rooms. The license was renewed the next year, but afterwards, the license was confined to music and dancing. William Taylor, the manager of the King's Theatre in Haymarket, described the first two seasons this way:

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