Hibbert's Pictures Ltd

Hibbert's Pictures Ltd was a cinema company based in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The company was founded in 1909 by Henry Hibbert and owned a number of cinemas and associated companies based in Bradford, Huddersfield and Northampton. The cinemas under its management included the Victoria Palace (Girlington), Towers Hall Cinema (Bradford) and the Picturedrome (Huddersfield).

In September 1947 Mr Arthur Shacklock Hyde and Mr Michael George William Armitage were appointed directors. In 1949 the company sold the Picturedrome in Huddersfield. In 1953 the company acquired controlling interest in Lyceum Cinema Co. Ltd, thus controlling management of Lyceum and Tennyson cinemas.

Throughout the 1950s and early 1960’s cinema attendance declined. As a result, The Victoria Palace was leased to a Supermarket Company (Morrisons) and eventually the premises were sold to it. The Tennyson was leased to a Bingo Club operator. The Lyceum was leased and converted to a Cabaret Club, the premises sold to the operator (Hammond Brothers) in 1966. Towers Hall continued operating as a cinema but by 1964 was incurring losses, leading to its eventual closure in May 1966. It was subsequently leased to a company showing Pakistani films but in May 1969 a Compulsory Purchase order was made by Bradford Corporation. Lyceum Cinema Co Ltd was liquidated November 1969. After this the only activities of the company were the owning and leasing of property.

Hibbert's Pictures Ltd ceased operation in 1972.