The Barbican Centre's First Birthday: 1983

A lot happened in the Centre's first year

Welcome to the Barbican Centre: March 1983 Welcome to the Barbican Centre: March 1983 (1983)Barbican Centre

One year old

In March 1983, the Barbican Centre celebrated its first year of being open.

Polaroid Photograph of Barbican 1st Birthday Cake (1983) by Barbican CentreBarbican Centre

A cake in the shape of the Barbican logo was baked especially for the occasion.

Welcome to the Barbican Centre: March 1983 Welcome to the Barbican Centre: March 1983 (1983)Barbican Centre

The cake graced the cover of Welcome to the Barbican, the monthly introductory guide to the Centre.

Welcome to the Barbican Centre: March 1983 Welcome to the Barbican Centre: March 1983 (1983) by The Barbican CentreBarbican Centre

Inside the booklet, the introduction reflects back on the year just gone.

It says that 3,000 people attended the opening night event, and 1.5 million people visited the Centre across the first year.

And those people ate nearly 10,000 baps and drank 8,300 cases of wine (!).

Welcome to the Barbican Centre: March 1983 Welcome to the Barbican Centre: March 1983 (1983) by The Barbican CentreBarbican Centre

This double spread looks back at the events and guests of the Barbican's first year.

Including a photo of the time the Barbican hosted sheepdog trials on the terrace.

Welcome to the Barbican Centre: March 1983 Welcome to the Barbican Centre: March 1983 (1983) by The Barbican CentreBarbican Centre

There's an advert encouraging people to buy tickets at the Barbican - you can get a free bottle of wine at a nearby restaurant if you do.

Welcome to the Barbican Centre: March 1983 Welcome to the Barbican Centre: March 1983 (1983) by The Barbican CentreBarbican Centre

And an advert from Barbican alcohol-free lager (no connection to our Barbican).

Barbican Lost Property - Internal Memorandum (1983) by Barbican CentreBarbican Centre

Another item from the Archive collection gives us some unusual insights into the Barbican's first year.

This is an internal memo from 1983, describing all the lost property found during the Barbican's first year.

Including the largest item (a filing cabinet), the smallest (a diamond)

the most valuable (a mink coat) and the most unusual (a four foot long wooden spoon and fork).

One lady's handbag was lost, and found, twice on the same day.

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