Vauxhall Gardens

Vauxhall Gardens was the most successful and longest- existing amusement park London. He lay on the south bank of the Thames in Kennington, approximately opposite the Tate Gallery today on the north shore. A small part of the system of Park Spring Gardens has been preserved.

Opened in 1660, closed the Vauxhall Gardens its doors in the wake of the then Urban Development in 1859 Lange, partly well-lit avenues invited to stroll.; other parts of the park lured with secluded corners, scattered pavilions and supper rooms. In addition, musical entertainment was provided at a high level. Maximum was popular as Handel; his honor was erected in 1738 in the park, a statue in life size, one of the first great works of Louis -François Roubiliac. Other attractions were regular fireworks and - from the late 18th century - balloon ascents.

The Vauxhall Gardens and their significance for the social life in the London of that time can also be found in the literature again. Georgette Heyer moved as the final scene of her novel " The marriage of convenience" in which the couple finally found each other in the amusement park. After all the people involved " with coach and boat " have arrived and as a writer with the plot also some impressions from the entertainment and the design of the park: " ... Having arrived at the pavilion, they saw that except the ball and the other for the Kurzweil of the audience provided conversations even in the concert hall an oratorio ( Susanna by Handel ) was performed. " in the further course of events also are still (card ) game rooms, hidden benches, small temples and pavilions, illuminated by colored lights trails and colonnades endeavors.

The owners of Vauxhall went bankrupt in 1840 and the garden was closed. Although he was re- opened in 1841, but in 1859 finally closed.

Following the model of London, a wave of Vauxhall's first spread over England, then across the continent and supported a change of manners towards greater sociability and pleasure, at the same time when the emerging bourgeoisie refused, under the simple pleasures of itself to mix people, the dancing has always been outdoors or in public places built pergolas - instead, now pulled one back in purpose built rooms. The Vauxhall Gardens became the model for many similar institutions, many of which took the name of a device in the east of Paris, known as the Vauxhall Tivoli, including the still-existing Tivoli in Copenhagen.