Opened in 1909, The Palace Cinema, or ‘Picture Palace’, was one of the first purpose built cinemas in the country. It was designed by Letchworth architects, Parker and Unwin and was the first building in the Garden City with an electricity supply.
It was purposely located at the then remote top end of Eastcheap to inhibit fire damage should the highly inflammable nitrate film catch fire. As an added precaution, the town fire station was built next door not long afterwards in 1911.
The Palace was set up by a local early pioneer of the cinema, Arthur Melbourne-Cooper. He recognised, long before most, the huge role that Cinema would play in entertaining the masses. He had started The Alpha company in St Albans in 190? And also ran a production company, making films to show at his venues.