Description: Showing The New Theatre. Ilkeston's first purpose built theatre had been built here, a victorian structure replacing an earlier wooden structure on Rutland Street. The building was subsequently Vint's Electric Picturedrome (1911-16); The Coliseum (1916-27); The Theatre Royal (1927-30) and then replaced by the New Theatre (1931-63) which is the art Deco building seen here through the avenue of trees. The trees lining the road, (which was officially opened on 25/9/1895), were given by the Duke of Rutland in commemoration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee of 1897. The real significance of this picture is in the brick air-raid shelters, which date the picture to c. 1940. The bands on the tree trunks may have been an aid to night-time drivers (whose headlights were heavily masked). These were painted on lamp posts, trolley poles, etc.