Victoria Hall Research Articles

‘Methodism Alive’: Mass Observation's Worktown Perspective

Abstract This paper explores the potential of the Mass Observation Archive at the University of Sussex for studying the history of Methodism in Bolton (aka ‘Worktown’) during the middle third of the twentieth century, with particular reference to the years 1937–40 and 1960, demonstrating its value for recording the lived experience of Methodism. An appendix contains three key documents, two of them relating to the work of the Victoria Hall in the Bolton Mission circuit, which was much lauded by Mass Observation.

Abstract 2729: Discovery and characterization of LILRB2XPD-L1 bispecific antibody SPX-303

Abstract The advent of immunotherapy has led to deep and sometimes durable remissions in certain cancers. However, the variable response rates and development of resistance mechanisms pose significant challenges to the current therapies. The immunosuppressive nature in the tumor microenvironment (TME) can drive many of these observations. Reversing this immunosuppression is a promising avenue for enhancing and broadening the applicability of IO therapies. Macrophages are critically modulated by LILRB2, a pivotal receptor in their maturation and polarization to the M2 immunosupressive phenotype. We report the discovery and development of a novel anti-LILRB2/PD-L1 bispecific antibody, SPX-303, designed using an anti-LILRB2 IgG4 derived from a mouse hybridoma screen and linked with an anti-PD-L1 epitope. SPX-303 demonstrates sub-nanomolar binding affinity to both LILRB2 and PD-L1 targets, effectively blocking the interaction between LILRB2 and its ligand, as well as inhibiting PD-1 binding to PD-L1. In in vitro functional assays, SPX-303 exhibits effects comparable to the parental monomeric anti-LILRB2 (SPX-104) in redirecting macrophage polarization from M2 to M1 stage, as observed in both cultured PBMC and human monocyte-derived macrophage (HMDM) models. Furthermore, SPX-303 demonstrates a synergistic effect in inducing T cell activation in the autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction assay (auto-MLR), surpassing the effects of the anti-LILRB2 epitope (SPX-104) and the anti-PDL1 fragment (single-domain anti-PDL1) alone or in combination. In vivo experiments reveal that SPX-303 significantly inhibits tumor growth. Collectively, these results support SPX-303 as a novel therapeutic antibody that effectively enhances anti-cancer immunity in the treatment of advanced solid tumors. The pre-clinical data as well as the clinical plan of SPX-303 will be presented. Citation Format: Anthony Haight, Qian Chen, Brandon William, Dinh-Duc Nguyen, Robert Cai, Jichun Ma, Michael White, Jindong Jin, Jadon Shen, Martin Siekierzycki, Victoria Hall, Hua Jin, Roland Meier, Justin Moser. Discovery and characterization of LILRB2XPD-L1 bispecific antibody SPX-303 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2729.

Abstract 5663: Discovery and characterization of anti-LILRB2 antibody SPX-104

Abstract T-cell based immunotherapies have produced durable remission in certain cancer patients, but owing at least partially to immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment, response rates with current therapies remains challenging. Reversing the immunosuppression is a recognized pathway for enhancing the activity of existing IO therapies. LILRB2 (ILT4) is a key receptor for macrophage maturation and polarization and an emerging therapeutic target in immuno-oncology. This research aims to produce anti-LILRB2 antibodies to redirect the polarization of myeloid cells, specifically macrophages, in the tumor microenvironment. The LILRB2 antibodies were generated through the mouse hybridoma method. After humanization and maturation, potent and selective IgG4 anti-LILRB2 antibodies were obtained. Binding affinities were evaluated through ELISA and 293T-LILRB2 cell flow cytometry binding assays which demonstrated sub-nanomolar binding affinity as well as effective blocking of the interaction of LILRB2 with its ligands HLA-G and HLA-A2 for multiple antibodies. SPX-104 was shown to redirect macrophage polarization in primary cultured human PBMC and human monocyte derived macrophage (HMDM) models. SPX-104 treatment induced hTNFa expression and suppressed hIL10 expression in the LPS stimulated PBMC model. In the HMDM model, SPX-104 effectively induced pro-inflammatory cytokine hTNFα expression in M-CSF. Furthermore, an autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (auto-MLR) assay to evaluate T cell response showed dose-dependent increases in hIFNγ and hGM-CSF expression following SPX-104 treatment. In a CD34-humanized hLILRB2 transgenic mouse efficacy model, SPX-104 in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor, effectively inhibited tumor growth. These results confirm enhanced T cell activity following macrophage redirected polarization. The in vitro and in vivo evaluation, of SPX-104 relative to other anti-LILRB2 antibodies will be presented. Citation Format: Anthony Haight, Qian Chen, Ernesto Rodriguez, Martin Siekierzycki, Victoria Hall, Brandon Williams, Jun Shi, Dinh-Duc Nguyen, Robert Cai, Jichun Ma, Michael White, Jingdong Qin, Jadon Shen, Chuanke Zhao, Zhuona Rong, Lin Meng, Chengchao Shou. Discovery and characterization of anti-LILRB2 antibody SPX-104. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5663.

Correlates of protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection

Correlates of protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection

Churches, City and National Identity in Mid-19th Century Edinburgh

This paper reflects on the importance of Edinburgh’s Lawnmarket and Castlehill area in the context of the 1843 Disruption which saw the separation of the Free Church from the Established Church of Scotland mainly over the issue of the Church’s relationship with the State. Edinburgh’s Holy Corner, as it is colloquially known, refers to the Bruntsfield and Morningside junction with four churches; but this paper argues that by the mid-19th century the Lawnmarket area was an even ‘holier’ corner. Within a discrete area west of St Giles — Edinburgh’s Cathedral — and almost touching one another were built the Church of Scotland’s headquarters at Victoria Hall (or Old Tolbooth Church; today, ‘The Hub’), and for the Free Church, its headquarters at New College. These two buildings alone (other churches were constructed in closest proximity) show that for both organisations, Edinburgh in its old role as the national capital was deemed vital. This national importance was here emphasised (or resurrected) and intentionally exploited by each organisation for the purpose of demonstrating its own historical legitimacy and validity, each regarding itself as the national Church continuing. That it was not simply Edinburgh, but the Old Town, which was chosen, emphasised yet further the heritage, continuity and historic validity claimed by the two ‘ancient’ Churches; the Tron Church was a lesser ornament, as the fire of 1824 had diminished its prestige of antiquity. A major — if perhaps inadvertent — consequence was that the Old Town’s renewal was now securely in hand thanks to these competing churches; and all following the effective reincarnation in dressed ashlar of St Giles in the 1830s by William Burn. Both organisations being based in Edinburgh made the city not simply the two Churches’ national headquarters, but also, given the impact of missionary work and Empire, the international hub to which every congregation looked to for leadership and support. By focusing on a small area at the very heart of the Old Town of Edinburgh, this paper brings together a key moment of ecclesiastical history, whose significance goes well beyond Edinburgh itself, with important developments in urban design and architectural history.

Victoria Hall Theatre—Almost ready for prime time

The Victoria Hall Theatre was built in 1921 as a lively church in the center of Santa Barbara, California, but matured into a tired theatre in the center of the downtown Arts District. Initial considerations whether to renovate began with a study about minimizing intrusion of loud dance music from a neighboring open-deck club. Thereafter, the renovation took off, with major changes including an entirely new stage house, and replacing a problematic balcony with a continuous floor plan with great sightlines for its 294 seats. Exterior noise isolation is excellent considering its wood construction, and interior finishes promote great clarity and improved intimacy. However, the decision to reuse the six old air handling units in the attic, compounded by some questionable mechanical engineering omissions, undermined the theatre’s potential to make sound system reinforcement essentially unnecessary. This paper will review various renovation decisions, and the several steps to quiet the renovated HVAC to its current moderate levels, plus the follow-up that almost provided authorization to further quiet the system.

Andrea Geddes Poole. Philanthropy and the Construction of Victorian Women's Citizenship: Lady Frederick Cavendish and Miss Emma Cons.

In this book Andrea Geddes Poole successfully pairs biographies of two influential if atypical Victorian British contemporaries, Lucy (Lady Frederick) Cavendish (1841–1925) and Emma Cons (1838–1912). Neither of them has been given a real biography and Poole's extensive and imaginative research on each figure makes up for this. The book is not intended as a double biography, however, but as an exploration of the changing scope, recruitment, and meanings of female voluntarism in the late Victorian and Edwardian years. The two figures could not have been more different. Lucy Cavendish was aristocratic and well connected: William Gladstone was her uncle by marriage; she was one of the famed Lyttelton sisters; she had been a maid of honor to the queen for a time. In her early twenties, in a real love match, she married Lord Frederick Cavendish, the Liberal politician who was assassinated in Dublin in 1882 shortly after being named chief secretary for Ireland. His death meant that the more traditional duties of an aristocratic political hostess would not be required of Lucy Cavendish, and she began to augment her efforts for the Girls Public Day School Trust and the Yorkshire Ladies Council of Education. She also became involved with several Church of England charities, including the Ladies Diocesan Association, as well as with the campaign to elect women to local government offices. The Royal Victoria Hall and Morley College would soon engross her. Emma Cons, housing activist and cultural entrepreneur, was the London-born daughter of a successful craftsman whose ill health required that his daughters would have to work for their living. Cons began her career as a beneficiary of philanthropy. As a teenager she was accepted into Caroline Hill's Ladies Art Guild, which trained girls in skills that would bring a livelihood, and this is how she met Hill's daughter Octavia. Emma Cons met John Ruskin through the Hills, worked for him for two years, and eventually worked with Octavia Hill as a (paid) rent collector. As a self-supporting housing manager, first with Hill in central London and then on her own in south London, Cons always lived modestly on the premises she managed. Cons's forthright gestures, terrible taste in clothes, and cockney accent made it obvious that, as Beatrice Webb famously observed, she was “‘not a lady by birth’” (p. 104), and she was never concerned about it. Her long-term partner from about 1882, Ethel Everest (daughter of Sir George Everest) was very wealthy, however, and the two lived part time at Everest's country home in Kent as well as at Cons's cottage in the Surrey Buildings.

The World Is Ready to Listen: Symphony Orchestras and the Global Performance of America

Tough times are facing symphony orchestras these days. In a world of stagnating stocks, dwindling governmental budgets, and reluctant sponsors, trustees and managers struggle to maintain the musical caliber of their communities. Internationally renowned ensembles fight for dear survival. Curiously, at the same time, worldwide the political leverage of symphonies has risen continually during the past decade. Since 1999, Daniel Barenboim has been trying to soothe the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the East West Divan Orchestra. In 2003, the Iraqi National Orchestra performed in Washington, DC, hoping to win the hearts of American audiences. In 2007, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez sent the Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra on tour across Europe to spruce up the international image of his country. These are huge political responsibilities on the shoulders of people who have dedicated their lives not to peace and conflict resolution but, say, to a perfect rendition of Mozart's Jupiter Symphony. Nor has the strategy of winning hearts and minds with trumpets and percussion been an untainted pedigree of success. In early 2010, the Iranian government dispatched the Teheran Symphony Orchestra to Europe to solicit goodwill with Majid Entezami's Peace and Friendship Symphony. Did this win Teheran the hearts and minds of men? From Strasbourg to Rome, turnout remained conspicuously low. In Geneva, the Iranian consulate distributed free tickets while some three hundred people scattered in grand Victoria Hall, designed for more than a thousand. “At the end,” observed a reporter “protesters took to the stage, announcing (in Persian) that the bouquets of flowers they carried and then gravely laid on the conductor's podium were to honor the recently executed dissidents in Iran.”1

Von Neumayer’s place in history a century on: closing remarks at the anniversary symposium

The Georg von Neumayer Anniversary Symposium held at the Royal Society of Victoria Hall in Melbourne on 27–30 May 2009 brought together a wide range of perspectives on the life, times and scientific achievements of one of the most remarkable figures of 19th Century Australian, German and polar science.

Victoria Hall

Victoria Hall

Book Reviews : Thomas Kelly, ed. A European Bibliography of Adult Education. Lon don, National Institute of Adult Education, 1975. 67 pp. index, £2.20. Available from: Research Publications Services Ltd., Victoria Hall, East Greenwich, London SE10

Book Reviews : Thomas Kelly, ed. A European Bibliography of Adult Education. Lon don, National Institute of Adult Education, 1975. 67 pp. index, £2.20. Available from: Research Publications Services Ltd., Victoria Hall, East Greenwich, London SE10

Victoria Playhouse Petrolia: The Building Burden

Petrolia (population 3.800) is located in the farmlands of Larnbton County, about 17 miles southeast of Sarnia. In many respects it is a town built in the middle of nowhere. There is a doubtful water supply, no important navigable stream or nearby seaport. It is off all main lines of communication and when Petrolia did expand, it moved away from the main highway, across Bear Creek. Why build a town in such a spot? The reason, in its day, was unique. In 1858, James Miller Williams sunk North America’s first commercial oil well in nearby Oil Springs and by 1860, the flats of Bear Creek were populated by men from all walks of life who had turned to drilling for oil to find their fortune. These men originated equipment and methods here that they later used to open the oil fields of Borneo, Java, Persia and East Africa. In the 1870’s Petrolia could be described as arrogant, whimsical, bold, adventurous and contrary; thus, when the citizens began thinking in terms of permanent homes and stores, these attitudes were reflected in their architecture. Wooden structures were replaced by brick buildings in a vigorous, eclectic late 19th-century style. The decision to build Victoria Hall, a $35,000 town hall complete with opera house, in 1887 was the significant turning point in the way of life Petrolians were choosing for themselves.

Book Reviews : Estimating Local Housing Needs: a case study and discussion of methods, by C. J. Watson, Pat Niner, Gillian R. Vale with Barbara M. D. Smith. Occasional Paper No. 24. 138pp. CENTRE FOR URBAN AND REGIONAL STUDIES, THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM. 1973. £1.50 (Available from: Research Publications Limited, Victoria Hall, East Greenwich, London, S.E.10, or through the Publications

Book Reviews : Estimating Local Housing Needs: a case study and discussion of methods, by C. J. Watson, Pat Niner, Gillian R. Vale with Barbara M. D. Smith. Occasional Paper No. 24. 138pp. CENTRE FOR URBAN AND REGIONAL STUDIES, THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM. 1973. £1.50 (Available from: Research Publications Limited, Victoria Hall, East Greenwich, London, S.E.10, or through the Publications

The training of mathematicians—a research report, by R. R. McLone. Pp 100. 60p, from Research Publications Service, Ltd., Victoria Hall, East Greenwich, London SE10 0RF. 1973 (Social Science Research Council)

The training of mathematicians—a research report, by R. R. McLone. Pp 100. 60p, from Research Publications Service, Ltd., Victoria Hall, East Greenwich, London SE10 0RF. 1973 (Social Science Research Council) - Volume 57 Issue 402

A Journey into Aeronautics

My First attention to matters Aeronautical occurred at about the turn of the Century, when a balloon appeared over an open space at the north of Portsmouth and a parachutist came down therefrom.Again, I remember seeing an inflated non-rigid airship exhibited in the Victoria Hall, Southsea, made by a man named Spencer.One recollects, also, that in those pre-motoring days, it was not unusual for errand boys, on their way in the streets, to sing some music-hall ditty.

FOURTEENTH ANNUAL BANQUET HELD AT VICTORIA HALL, CRITERION RESTAURANT, W., FRIDAY, 26th JANUARY, 1900

Journal of the Federated Institutes of BrewingVolume 6, Issue 2 p. 63-71 Free Access FOURTEENTH ANNUAL BANQUET HELD AT VICTORIA HALL, CRITERION RESTAURANT, W., FRIDAY, 26th JANUARY, 1900 First published: March‐April 1900 https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2050-0416.1899.tb00139.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume6, Issue2March‐April 1900Pages 63-71 RelatedInformation

Lectures at the Royal Victoria Hall

I SEE in your issue of September 21 (p. 513) the statement that I am to lecture at the Royal Victoria Hall on “Photographs taken in the dark.” I beg to say that the title I gave for my lecture was “Pictures taken on a photographic plate in the dark.” I suppose the authorities at the Hall consider the titles identical. I do not.

THE HEALTH EXHIBITION WILL BE HELD IN Victoria Hall and Royal Victoria Rooms, SOUTHAMPTON

THE HEALTH EXHIBITION WILL BE HELD IN Victoria Hall and Royal Victoria Rooms, SOUTHAMPTON

The Meeting of the British Asociation at Leeds

ON September 3 the sixtieth meeting of the British Asso ciation will be opened at Leeds by the Presidentelect, Sir F. A. Abel, F.R.S. The address, the lectures to the Association, and that to the operative classes will be delivered in the Coliseum, in which upwards of 3400 persons can be well and easily accommodated. By the courtesy of the Mayor and Corporation, the Victoria Hall will be used as the reception-room, and other rooms in the Town Hall will be provided for the various offices. Excellent Section rooms within short distances of the Town Hall have been secured by the kindness of various public and private bodies.

Royal Victoria Hall and Morley Memorial College

I HAVE only just read the article on Polytechnics for London in your number for January 16 (p. 242). I hope it is not too late to offer a few words of comment on it. Nothing is said of that part of the Commissioners' scheme which applies to the Royal Victoria Hall and Morley Memorial College, probably because the amount intended for them is comparatively small—£6000 down for structural alterations, and £1000 a year to be divided between Hall and College. But it derives an importance beyond what is due to the amount of the grant, from the fact that it is no castle in the air, but a going concern, and had begun its useful, life long before the Commissioners had planned their scheme. Moreover, many of your strictures do not apply to this particular part of it. You say there will be, under the new scheme, “no People's Palaces—only Young People's Institutes.” You object to limitation of age, and to smoking being forbidden, and you conclude by urging most truly that “life should come first, then buildings,” for life develops from within.