What were the Public Bar and Saloon in Victorian Pubs?

Pubs in the Victorian era were divided up into lots of internal spaces. Although these divides have (mostly) since disappeared, we still have hints in old signs of the way things once were.

You've probably seen signs like "public bar", "saloon bar" and maybe even "private bar". What were all these spaces like? Who used them? How were they used? When did they start to emerge? ...and why did they eventually disappear?

In this video I take a look at the changing shape of pub interiors throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. To illustrate I visit a handful of pubs around London, and illustrate with footage from other pubs further afield.

Architectural historian Mark Girouard's excellent book "Victorian Pubs" (first published 1975) was a huge help in the research for this video. It's long since out of print but you can find second hand copies still, and if you're interested in Victorian pubs architecture and history it's an incredible piece of work.

Also of help was Maurice Gorham's "Back to the Local", originally published in the 1940s, recently re-issued by Faber & Faber - it's a fasscinating snapshot of pubs at that point in history: https://www.faber.co.uk/journal/book-...

Also thanks to Martyn Cornell whose article on the Dove in Hammersmith was the inspiration for the section on how these spaces were reflected in the law:
https://zythophile.co.uk/2007/11/22/t...

Pubs visited during the course of making this video:

Prince Alfred, Maida Vale
https://camra.org.uk/pubs/prince-alfr...

Barley Mow, Marleybone
https://camra.org.uk/pubs/barley-mow-...

Argyll Arms, Oxford Circus
https://camra.org.uk/pubs/argyll-arms...

Princess Louise, Holborn
https://camra.org.uk/pubs/princess-lo...

Seven Stars, Carey Street
https://camra.org.uk/pubs/seven-stars...

Lamb, Bloomsbury
https://camra.org.uk/pubs/lamb-london...

Grafton, Kentish Town
https://camra.org.uk/pubs/grafton-lon...

Rugby Tavern, Bloomsbury
https://camra.org.uk/pubs/rugby-taver...

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction
0:39 Background
2:00 Taprooms and Parlours
3:26 Bar Counters
5:10 Public Bar
6:54 Saloon Bar
9:40 The First Saloon Bar?
10:47 The Law!
12:54 Private Bar
14:36 Ladies Bar
15:11 Snob Screens
16:55 Jug & Bottle Bar
17:14 Why did this disappear?
21:01 Conclusion
21:52 Acknowledgements