Frederick H Baines (19 June 1910 – 8 October 1995), or Harry to his friends, painted the two murals that sat on the walls of the lobby of the Longford cinema in Stretford which opened in 1936. The listing of the grade 2 building state that they probably survive behind removable coverings. Collective memory seems to be hazy on when these were last seen, whether they were indeed just covered up or indeed if they actually still survive.
I am lucky enough to have seen these murals (big paintings, no Coronation Street style flying ducks), not in person but in photographs of them in situ in the foyer, depicting an array of musicians on a Hollywood style film set. These photos and this particular artwork don’t seem to exist online and I’m happy to keep it that way as long as possible for the sake of keeping the building safe. The murals don’t seem typical of his usual work, presumably being commissioned by either the architects or the original cinema circuit.
Confusingly, to add to the mystery, the mural is cited as being part of an exhibition at the Tate just two years later in 1938. It was definitely at the Longford Cinema as of 6th October 1938 based on documentary evidence but after that did it travel? Did it come back? The answer probably lies in the Tate archives where the exhibition was actually between May and June 1939 and the exhibition comprised of 411 black and white prints and 11 reproductions, so maybe the murals didn’t move after all – maybe they were just photographed … or copied.
Harry Baines and his wife Pauline both had distinguished and individual creative careers. Harry was born in Manchester and worked his way up though the art establishment. He was also a political activist, known at the time as a communist. He worked to bring one Picassos anti war works to Manchester, which with Picassos direct blessing was nailed to the walls of a Ford car showroom in artistic demonstration! It is now safely restored and on permanent exhibition in Italy…
In 1939 he married book designer and art editor Pauline and in 1956 they commissioned the modernist architect Ernö Goldfinger to design a four-storey block of flats in Primrose Hill, north London where they both lived out their lives. Harry died in 1995 and Pauline died aged 103 in 2020.
Longford and Essoldo Cinema Stretford 
What a fascinating history! Wouldn’t it be great if the murals have survived in situ?
Great to know more about the murals and the artist behind them, a well researched piece adding more to the story of this unique cinema.
Even if the murals are gone the famous exteriors and the symbolism behind them, easily make the Longford worthy of its listing and its eventual return to public use and enjoyment for everyone.