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Fall of a Great City

There’s not a hard hat in sight, as cameras record the tragic destruction of the stunning spires, minarets, columns and arches of the Empire Exhibition at Wembley.

Non-Fiction 1927 1 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for London's Screen Archives

Overview

Despite hosting the hugely successful Empire Exhibition in 1924 and 1925, the concrete mini-city of Wembley Park was largely demolished in 1927. Only a handful of structures – among them Wembley Stadium itself - survived the destruction recorded here, as pillars and spires are pulled down by cloth-capped workmen. Two pavilions, much altered, still remain while two others were demolished between 2007 and 2010 to make way for the new Wembley Stadium.