Drapers Bar

Someone asked me what Drapers/Browns was before it became a bar. I remember it as a white bomb damaged square building with stairs leading down to public conveniences. What was it's original use?

Yes it was a public toilet. Can't recall what it was pre war.

I seem to remember it being used as an art gallery during the late forties, early fifties. Anyone else remember this ?

Around 1939 Alfred Herbert donated £100,000 (I think) to the city for the creation of a museum. The majority of the early items to be exhibited were the 2,000 or so collected by J. B. Shelton from his many diggings around the city centre during the previous decade. A start was made on the building but soon war broke out and the foundations and lower layers, with which we were so familiar, were left until after the war. By that time it became apparent that the combined new Herbert Art Gallery / Museum would not fit into that small space, and so was built across the other side of Bailey Lane instead. So, the original foundation were put to use as loos instead!