About this collection
Today, City workers and visitors enjoy the opulent surroundings of Number 9 Gracechurch Street at The Crosse Keys pub. For decades, however, this building was the London home of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. Our London office first opened on Old Broad Street in July 1865, before moving to Nicholas Lane and later to Lombard Street. By the early 1900s, the business had grown so much that we chose to invest in a purpose-built office. In 1911, the bank paid GBP275,000 (equivalent to around GBP29 million today) for a large plot of land on Gracechurch Street and commissioned the architect William Campbell-Jones to come up with a winning design. Built by Trollope & Colls and opened in 1913, the building featured one of the largest banking halls in the City, with marble columns and intricately carved wooden panelling. It remained our London home for more than 60 years.
