People of the Palace
150 Years

[Picture of Adelaide Hall]

1906
Adelaide Hall: The First Performer to be Telerecorded

Adelaide Hall was an American Jazz singer, who was a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance with a successful career in the US and UK. She was the first performer to be ’telerecorded’ which meant the show was captured for repeat broadcast when she performed on Variety in Sepia, a television special at the Palace.

The sign is one of a series installed to mark the 150th anniversary of the opening of Alexandra Palace (1873).
The signs commemorate individuals who left their mark on the site.
The current plaque commemorates the jazz singer Adelaide Hall (1901–1993), who was born in the United States, built a successful career there, and in 1938 moved to London (after a period in Paris), where she also achieved great success.
The television program "Variety in Sepia" was filmed on October 7, 1947, here at Alexandra Palace, and was broadcast on BBC Television.

(It is unclear why the year 1906 appears on the plaque; it may be an error, and the intended year was 1947.)

The location of the sign was photographed on the same day (with the transmission tower in the background) Click for a larger image
as well as the main building of Alexandra Palace Click for a larger image.