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BATH, ENGLAND - JULY 14: Paul Jones of Brotheridge Chandeliers cleans parts from one of the five original 18th century chandeliers in the Ball Room inside the Georgian Assembly Rooms that are undergoing a bi-annual restoration, on July 14 2009 in Bath, England. The five chandeliers have hung in the Ball Room since 1771 when the Assembly Rooms opened and were a favourite meeting place for Jane Austen who often danced there and placed key scenes in two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, in the Assembly Rooms. During the two week restoration the 5 chandeliers will be dismantled, cleaned and relamped and supporting cables and wiring will also be replaced. Originally made in London of Whitefriars crystal, they are now considered to be one of the finest sets of 18th century chandeliers in the world. During the Second World War, the valuable chandeliers were moved into safe storage which proved fortuitous, as the building was destroyed by fire during the Blitz of Bath in 1942 and the chandeliers were only returned after the building was restored in 1963. The Assembly Rooms in Bennett Street, are owned by the National Trust and managed by Bath & North East Somerset Council and are still used for functions, including ballroom dances, today. The building also houses the Council-run Museum of Costume.
