Thirties gay bar to be recreated using police photographs

The secret history of Soho will be brought back to life with the recreation of a Thirties gay bar shut by police.

The Caravan was described as “London’s most bohemian rendezvous” and provided a meeting place and refuge for gay men when homosexuality was illegal. Located on the corner of Endell Street and Shaftesbury Avenue, the basement club was raided and closed in 1934.

Now, the National Trust and the National Archives are going to re-imagine the “most unconventional spot in town” using police photographs, witness accounts and court reports.

Freud Café, which is close to the original site of The Caravan, will be transformed in March for the Queer City project celebrating London’s gay scene between 1918 and 1967. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, which decriminalised homosexuality in England and Wales.

The event runs from March 2-26 and will include talks, performances and cocktails from the Thirties.