Methodist Central Hall, Westminster

Before Methodist Central Hall stood here, this site was occupied by the Royal Aquarium, a sprawling entertainment complex that featured water tanks intended for marine life. The tanks rarely held actual sea creatures due to high costs, so the venue pivoted to sensational variety acts instead. One of its most famous attractions was Zazel, a seventeen year old performer who became the first human cannonball in eighteen seventy-seven. She was fired from a spring-loaded cannon before crowds in a theater that stood exactly where you are now walking.