"The Coliseum is one of the finest buildings in Aberystwyth. It was built between 1904-1905 to replace Phillips Hall and stables, which burnt down on Boxing Day, 1903. The grand new building, built by David Phillips consisted of a magnificent auditorium with an arcade of shops beneath.

It opened on June 9th 1905 with a Grand Concert. The concert was a very smart affair and although we know what went on, we would like to find an original programme. So if any of your readers have one we would love to see it.

By 1910 heating had been installed. It had electrical lighting throughout but audiences complained that it was too cold - except during political meetings! Famous names of the day included Lloyd George who addressed an audience on the Welsh Campaign in 1905; Mrs. Pankhurst, who spoke here twice in 1911, and Prime Minister Mr. Asquith who spoke at the Aberystwyth Liberal meeting in 1919.

The Coliseum was the venue for at least 5,000 events before 1932. These included 760 plays, music hall, variety and cabaret performances, opera and operetta, pantomimes, boxing matches, early films. Plays were performed by professional companies in the summer months while amateur groups filled the winter slots.

School concerts and local Eisteddfodau were performed during the day and short films were projected between live acts on the evenings when variety shows were performed. There were even 'Pleasant Saturday Nights' when local church groups organised concerts to keep the young people off the streets.

In 1932, the Coliseum became a cinema. 3,800 programmes of film were shown up until 1977. Detailed records were kept during the early days of it being a cinema and these tell us of the film titles, the number of people present and the takings for that show. Towards the end of the 70s, these records were not so well kept and the business declined.

After the cinema closed in 1977, the Coliseum building was left in sorry state of repair. When the council took over the building in 1978, various original posters were found stored in the attic above the stage. Many were glued to the rafters and still remain there.

Entertainment advertised on these posters included a huge variety of live acts, with some intriguing features, such as Madamoiselle Bartenelli on her Golden Column! A grand Beauty Competition was also billed, with a handsome gold watch being awarded to the winner. The audience were the judges.

In 1982 the Coliseum opened again, as a museum for the district of Ceredigion. Since that time, visitors have once more been able to enjoy the grand building. It is estimated that three quarters of a million people have visited the Ceredigion Museum at the Coliseum.

To celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the opening of the Coliseum, Ceredigion Museum will be hosting a wide range of performances throughout the year. These performances will reflect the range of use the Coliseum has been put to over its long history, as well as celebrating the beauty of the building itself. 2005 will certainly be a year to remember at the Coliseum!"

Article by Gwenllian Ashley from Ceredigion Museum