MS 339 Papers of Peter Parkin

Peter Parkin

Peter Hubert Parkin had a long career in an advisory role at the Building Research Establishment. His formative concert experience was at the Royal Festival Hall in London. He was the co-author, with Henry Robert Humphreys, of Acoustics, Noise and Buildings (London, 1958).

About the collection

Parkin’s papers relate to his work as an acoustic consultant on a variety of auditoria in the United Kingdom and one in the United States of America.

There is a series of files of papers for acoustic tests, 1946-75, for: Chalk Farm Round House, 1961; Croydon, Fairfield Halls and Ashcroft Theatre, 1962; Empress Hall, Earl’s Court, London 1949-50; King Edward’s School, Witley, 1958; Royal Festival Hall, London, 1948-51; Royal Society, 1955; Sadlers Wells Theatre, 1959; St Paul’s Cathedral, 1950-1, 1962; Salisbury Cathedral, 1955; Swiss Cottage Odeon cinema, 1964; St Mary’s Church, Watford, 1946; Westminster County Hall, 1950-1; Westminster Central Hall, 1951; Westminster Institute of Civil Engineers, 1955-6; Westminster School, 1950-1; Wexham Springs Cement and Concrete Association, 1955; Wimbledon tennis courts, 1961; and Wokingham Secondary School, 1953. Tapes of recordings of acoustic tests, 1966-75, n.d., relate to Westminster Abbey, Royal Festival Hall, Round House, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Ford Auditorium, Detroit, York, Garston Reform Church, the National Theatre, London, Bournemouth and Dorset.

A parallel alphabetical set of files of papers, 1940-85, relates to acoustics, Parkin’s publication Acoustics, Noise and Buildings, 1958-75; the Barbican Arts Centre, 1980-3; Coventry Cathedral, 1962; Hope Bagenal’s history of the House of Commons, 1960-82; Royal Festival Hall, 1966-76; St Paul’s Cathedral, 1959-83; “scrapbooks, 1945-85, which includes correspondence with and material relating to Hope Bagenal; Westminster Abbey, 1973; and York University Central Hall, 1972-4; a “miscellaneous” file, 1940-77, that includes correspondence and a photograph of the presentation of the Wolf Award, lecture notes and publications; a file of lecture notes and text of lectures, 1953, 1971-80; and of laboratory notes and papers, 1948-82, relating to Colston Hall, Bristol, Belgrave Theatre, Coventry, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, St Andrew’s Hall, Glasgow, Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Watford Town Hall, Fairfield Hall, Croydon and Lincolnshire New Theatre.

Papers on acoustics and assisted resonance, 1963-76, includes notes on the new concert hall on the South Bank, London, together with an acoustical measurements report and press cuttings on the Royal Festival Hall, 1955, 1964-7.

Date range:

1940-82 

Former references:

A2061, A3011, A3066

Size:

24 boxes