Alfred John Thraves FRIBA (1888 – 15 August 1953) was an architect based in Nottingham^[1] who specialised in cinema design.

History

He was the son of Joseph Henry Thraves and Agnes Rosina Kraft. He married Florence A E Sharp in 1912. Their son Lionel Alfred Thraves was born on 18 March 1915.

He was articled to John Lamb in Nottingham and started his own practice in 1910.^[2]

During the First World War he was a private in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry and held a commission in the Royal Engineers, and was on active service in France and Belgium.

He was in partnership with Henry Hardwick Dawson until 1927^[3] and with his son Lionel Alfred Thraves from 1937, based in Whitefriars House, Nottingham.

During the Second World War he served as a special constable in Nottingham. In 1943 he was appointed a housing consultant to the Ministry of Health.

He died on 15 August 1953^[4] at The Turrett, Stanton-on-the-Wolds, Nottinghamshire and left an estate valued at £8,478 11s 3d (equivalent to £299,000 in 2023).^[5]

Works

• 10 Short Hill, Nottingham 1909^[6]
• Palais de Danse, Nottingham 1924-25^[7]
• Cottages. Bramcote Drive, Beeston. 1921-22^[8]
• Majestic Theatre, Coronation Street, Retford 1927
• National Provincial Bank, Valley Road/Nottingham Road, Basford, Nottingham 1928^[9]
• Empress Cinema, St Ann's Well Road, Nottingham 1928^[10]
• Majestic Cinema, 700 Woodborough Road, Mapperley, Nottingham 1929
• St. Giles Parish Hall (later Lutterell Hall), Church Drive, West Bridgford, 1929
• Tudor Cinema, 50 North Street, Bourne 1929
• Plaza Cinema, Mansfield 1930 (later the Granada Cinema)
• Regent Cinema, Diamond Avenue/Station Street, East Kirkby 1930
• Tudor Cinema, 24 Tudor Square, West Bridgford, Nottingham 1931
• Three houses. Derby Road, Beeston. 1931-32^[11]
• Five houses. Hillside Road, Beeston. 1932^[12]
• House. 185 Derby Road, Beeston. 1932^[13]
• House. 207 Derby Road, Beeston. 1932^[14]
• House. 209 Derby Road, Beeston. 1932^[15]
• Plaza Cinema, Trent Bridge, Nottingham 1932^[16]
• Dale Cinema, Sneinton Dale/Hardstaff Road, Nottingham 1932
• House. 23 Wollaton Vale, Beeston. 1932-33^[17]
• House. 25 Wollaton Vale, Beeston. 1932-33^[18]
• Eight houses. Derby Road, Beeston. 1932-33^[19]
• Bungalow. 2 Coniston Road, Beeston. 1932-33^[20]
• Bungalow. 4 Coniston Road, Beeston. 1932-33^[21]
• Majestic Cinema, 21 Alexandra Road, Swadlincote 1933
• Tudor Cinema, Grange Road, West Kirby, Merseyside 1933
• Parade Super Cinema, Skegness, 1933^[22]
• Houses. 211 Derby Road, Beeston. 1933^[23]
• Eight houses. Derby Road, Beeston. 1933^[24]
• Four houses. Hillside Road, Beeston. 1933^[25] (with Calvert and Jessop)
• House. 104 Hillside Road, Beeston. 1933-34^[26]
• House. 20 Keswick Close, Bramcote. 1933-34^[27]
• Three houses. Derby Road, Beeston. 1934^[28]
• Houses. 24 Derby Road, Beeston. 1934^[29]
• King's Cinema, Outram Street/Forest Street, Sutton in Ashfield 1935
• Regal Cinema, Parliament Street, Nottingham 1935
• Byron Cinema, High Street/Duke Street, Hucknall 1936
• Cinema, Nottingham Road, Basford 1936
• Astoria Cinema, Derby Road, Lenton Abbey, Nottingham 1936
• Two houses. High Road, Beeston. 1936-37^[30]
• House. 6 Coniston Road, Beeston. 1937^[31]
• House. 5 Coniston Road, Beeston. 1937^[32]
• Regal Cinema, West Street, Boston 1937^[33]
• Forum Cinema, Aspley Lane, Aspley, Nottingham 1937
• Futurist Cinema, 551 Valley Road, Basford, Nottingham 1937
• Savoy Cinema, Station Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield 1937
• Savoy Cinema, Westlode Street, Spalding 1937
• Six houses. 2-12 Grasmere Road, Beeston. 1937-38^[34]
• Windsor Cinema, Warmsworth Road/Oswin Avenue, Balby, Doncaster 1938^[35]
• Gloria Cinema, Nottingham Road and Meadow Lane, Derby 1938 (later the Ladbroke Film Centre)
• House. 72 Beeston Fields Drive, Beeston. 1938-39^[36]
• Windsor Cinema, Hartley Road, Radford, Nottingham 1939
• Astra Cinema, Wheatley, Doncaster 1939
• State Cinema, Church Street, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, 1939
• R. Cripps and Company Motor Showroom and Garage, Parliament Street/Barker Gate, Nottingham 1939^[37]
• Wood, Bastow and Company Factory, Nottingham Road, Selston 1939-40^[38]