All of the seats have been recently removed due to the upcoming restoration.

The Grand Theatre building was built in 1885 by German immigrant Jacob Griesinger, Sr. in Steubenville, Ohio.  It originally housed a saloon, restaurant and livery stables. In 1924, the building was taken over by Charles, Edward, Howard and William Biggio. The four brothers had the stables torn down and constructed the Grand Theatre auditorium in its place.

View of the balcony from the main level.

Originally showing live entertainment, the Grand was eventually converted into a movie theater. The Grand has the distinction of being the first air-conditioned theater in Ohio. In 1979, the Grand Theatre closed for the first time. It briefly reopened and showed a few films before closing for good in the early 1980s.

The theater’s foyer.

Since closing, the Grand Theatre building was used for a number of different things, including storage for a local thrift shop. In 2010, the building was purchased by the Grand Theatre Restoration Project. The Grand Theatre Restoration Project, led by Scott Dressel, plans to restore and renovate the theater into a performing arts center and museum. Renovation has begun, and the lobby has already been completely restored.

The lobby is completely restored and decorated for the holidays.

A face in plaster-work above the balcony.

Some of the projection equipment was left behind when the theater closed.

The auditorium ceiling suffered a lot of water damage while the theater was closed.

The remains of theater seating cover the main level of the auditorium.

The theater’s proscenium arch was also water damaged while the theater was closed.

View of the auditorium from the side of the balcony.

View of the auditorium from the balcony.

The Jayhawk Theatre opened in August of 1926 in Topeka, Kansas.  It was built by local architect Thomas W. Williamson, and designed by the Boller Brothers. The Boller Bros. were known for designing hundreds of theaters across the country, using the Jayhawk design as a prototype. In addition to the theater, the building contained a hotel and a commercial arcade that connected the two sections.

The mural on the proscenium depicts Demeter, the Greek goddess of agriculture surrounded by symbols of Kansas’ history, including the state seal of Kansas.

The 1,500 seat theater was one of the first air conditioned theaters in Kansas. It took workers three months to install the $50,000 heating and cooling system. Billed as “Topeka’s first deluxe motion picture palace,” the Jayhawk Theatre opened showing silent films and vaudeville acts. In 1953, a CinemaScope screen was installed so that the theater would be able to show 3D movies.

View of the auditorium from the stage.

The Jayhawk closed in May of 1976, only two years after it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel closed soon after, but was quickly renovated into an office building called the Jayhawk Tower. A developer tried to get a permit to demolish the building, including the theater, but was required to obtain approval from the Kansas Historical Society due to the theater’s National Historic Register status. They spoke against the demolition but didn’t deny the permit. Eventually, the owner of the building decided it would be too costly to demolish it.

The dome in the center of the auditorium used to contain a replica of the night sky complete with twinkling stars.

In January of 1993, a proposal to restore the theater was put forward by Rev. Richard Taylor. Soon, the Historic Jayhawk Theatre, Inc. was formed to help save the theater. Later that year the Kansas State Legislature named the Jayhawk as the State Theatre of Kansas.

The marquee letters were removed after the theater closed and moved into the auditorium for storage.

Later, in 1996, a local Boy Scout troop cleared out all of the debris for the theater’s 70th anniversary, and the public was allowed to view the theater for the first time in 25 years. Commercial space on the first floor of the building was donated to the theater in 1997. A group of local artists now use part of the space as a gallery, which they named the Upstage Gallery at the Jayhawk Theatre. The gallery has helped bring hundreds of people to the theater through art shows and live music performances.

The ceiling of the foyer is painted with stars, perhaps to echo the semi atmospheric motif of the auditorium dome.

A close up of the theater organ.

The Historic Jayhawk Theatre, Inc. continues to raise money to restore the theater.

The snack bar was most likely added years after the theater opened.

The projection room was blocked off from the auditorium, and was converted into part of the office building.

View of the auditorium from the main level.

A close up of some of the plaster-work surrounding the dome in the auditorium.

The dimmerboard was one of the first ones in the state.

The mural on the proscenium arch was painted by William Peaco.

A close up of some plaster work on the side of the auditorium.

View of the auditorium from the side of the balcony.

The information in this post was obtained with the help of the Theatre Historical Society of America, for more information including how to join – check out their website at www.historictheatres.org

Hi everyone – I’m on another trip photographing some of America’s abandoned theaters. Keep an eye out on the blog for updates over the next week.

© Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

View of the Jayhawk Theatre from the balcony.

The next theater I visited was the Jayhawk Theatre in Topeka, Kansas. The Jayhawk opened in August of 1926, and has been closed since May 1976. For more information visit the website of the organization trying to restore the theater: http://jayhawktheatre.com/

© Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

View of the auditorium from the top balcony.

The Loew’s State Theatre opened on April 3, 1926 in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was built by renowned theater architect Thomas W. Lamb for the Loew’s Theatre Corporation. The 3,335 seat theater cost $1.5 million ($20 million adjusted to current value) to build. At the time of the opening, the “New Orleans Item” proclaimed the State, “the greatest playhouse south of Philadelphia and west of Chicago.”

A bar was added to the lobby mezzanine when the theater was in use as a concert venue

Like many theaters of its day, the State originally showed vaudeville and silent films before switching over to talking pictures, or “talkies.” The theater had a large stage, orchestra pit, organ, a number of dressing rooms, and even a kennel in the basement for animal acts. The opening movie was “The Devil’s Circus,” starring Norma Shearer. Like many theaters at the time, the State was built with segregated sections, so it had a separate entrance, ticket booth and 600 seat balcony for its non-white patrons. The balcony was closed in 1950, and the State became an white-only theater until 1964, when the Civil Rights Act was instituted.

View of the auditorium from the box seats.

In 1976, the theater was multiplexed, with two screens on the main level of the auditorium and one large one in the balcony. During the conversion much of the marble in the lobby was covered with plastic panels, and the chandeliers were sold to a local antique store. Loew’s sold the theater in 1984 to Wilson P. Abraham, who planned to demolish the theater and build condos. The city denied Abraham’s plan and he eventually sold the theater to Rene Brunet, Jr. Brunet, a professional theater operator, had the multiplexing removed and restored the theater to a single screen. It was renamed the State Palace Theatre and began to screen classic movies, live theater and concerts. The first live show was a revival of the tv show “The Jeffersons”, featuring the original cast.

A close up of the main auditorium chandelier.

During this time many famous bands played the State including: Incubus, Marilyn Manson, 311, Duran Duran, Smashing Pumpkins, Korn, Tool, New Found Glory, Goo Goo Dolls, Morrissey, Dave Matthews Band, Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam and Sheryl Crow. After closing due to the damages caused by hurricane Katrina, the theater reopened sporadically as a rave venue. It was shut down on February 15, 2007 due to fire code violations.

Not every act enjoyed performing at the theater. While on stage, Morrissey told the crowd that the visibly deteriorating theater was a “miserable venue.”

Over the years since it closed, the theater has as seen a number of different plans for it’s revival, including an interactive museum dedicated to the music of Louisiana and a plan to reopen the theater as a performing arts venue, but the neither one came to pass. Movies filming in New Orleans have also taken advantage of the space. In 2012, while filming the movie “Now You See Me” at the theater, actor Michael Caine fell asleep in one of the former dressing rooms and was locked in overnight. The State Palace remains closed, with no current plans for restoration.

A close up of some plaster-work on the wall of the auditorium.

The kennel in the basement was once used to house lions and tigers for a circus that was performing at the theater.

The lobby was restored in the early 90′s, but has already begun to visibly deteriorate.

Some of the projection equipment remains after the theater closed.

The Robert Morton organ was only used until around 1932, and the console was later damaged in a flood. The organ pipes were sold for parts.

In the 60′s and 70′s the upper balcony was only used during popular films, such as the James Bond series.

View of the auditorium from the mezzanine.

The information in this post was obtained with the help of the Theatre Historical Society of America, for more information including how to join – check out their website at www.historictheatres.org

© Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Ceiling, Uptown Theatre Philadelphia, PA

The annual Holiday print sale is here! Beginning December 9 and ending on December 24, all prints will be 20% off. Place an order by December 19 to get it in time for Christmas!

Quite a few of the images haven’t been offered as prints before so check out the new print page and enter the coupon code holidaysale2013 to get 20% off your order.

If there’s an image you’d like a print of but do not see it on the page,  send me an email and I’ll add it for you.

View of the auditorium from the mezzanine.

The Lyric Fine Arts Theatre opened on January 14, 1914 in Birmingham, Alabama. It was built for Louis V. Clark by C.K Howell, the architect of many theaters on the B.F. Keith vaudeville circuit in the South. Clark leased the theater to Jake Wells who owned and managed a number of theaters, including the nearby Bijou Theatre. The Lyric’s opening was delayed due to a legal dispute with the Orpheum Theatre over where shows on the B.F. Keith’s vaudeville circuit would play.

The mural above the proscenium is entitled, “The Allegory of the Muses,” and was painted by Harry Hawkins, a local artist.

The 1,583 seat Lyric was designed as a vaudeville theater, with high walls and close seats for better acoustics during performances. It was the last theater built in Birmingham exclusively for vaudeville performances. Over the years, a number of famous vaudeville acts performed at the Lyric including; Hardeen, the brother of Houdini, the Marx Brothers, Mae West, Sophie Tucker, Milton Berle, Rube Goldberg, Buster Keaton, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and Will Rogers. In 1925, an organ was installed and silent movies began showing with the vaudeville performances.

The Lyric was one of the first places in the South where people of all races could watch the same show at the same time, but the seating was still segregated.

Wells lost his theater chain during the Great Depression, and the Lyric closed. It reopened on April 25, 1932 as a movie theater. The first film shown was “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,” starring Will Rogers. Later that year, the theater was leased to Paramount and became a second run theater, showing movies that had originally played at other theaters in Birmingham. In 1945, it was purchased out of foreclosure by the Waters Theater Company, who continued to operate it as a second-run theater until it closed again in 1958.

View of the side of the auditorium.

The theater remained closed during the 1960s, but in 1964 the Birmingham Committee of 100 looked into renovating the Lyric as a civic center – they were unable to raise the estimated $300,000 needed to restore the theater. Eight years later in 1972,  Dee Sloan and Robert Whorton leased the theater, renovated the main level, and reopened the Lyric as the Grand Bijou Motion Picture Theatre on April 19,1973. The theater was a revival house showing pre-1940s movies, beginning with “The Jazz Singer,” starring Al Jolson. It was not successful, and closed soon after. The Lyric reopened again for a short time as the Roxy Adult Cinema in the late 1970s, showing adult movies. Later, a beauty salon opened in the lobby and sealed off the auditorium.

Bodybuilders posed on the fire escapes in the 1976 film Stay Hungry.

In 1993, the building was sold to Birmingham Landmarks for $10 by the Waters family. Birmingham Landmarks, who already restored and reopened the nearby Alabama Theatre, plan to reopen the Lyric after an extensive restoration. They’ve currently raised over $6 million, and have recently installed a new marquee on the building. When the theater reopens it will be used as a rental facility for local and touring acts. You can make a donation to help the restoration at: http://lightupthelyric.com/

A beauty salon occupied the lobby during the 80′s and 90′s, sealing off the theater.

View of the side of the auditorium from the mezzanine.

In the early 1920′s the theater was used for church services on Sunday evenings.

The original asbestos fire curtain still hangs in the auditorium.

Milton Berle is quoted as saying the Lyric was, “as fine a theater as any in New York.”

A close up of some plaster-work on the side of the auditorium.

In the summer, air was fanned over two tons of ice a day to keep customers cool.

The information in this post was obtained with the help of the Theatre Historical Society of America, for more information including how to join – check out their website at www.historictheatres.org

© Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

View of the auditorium from the main level.

Delayed and over budget, the Paramount Theatre in Marshall, Texas opened on March 31, 1930. The opening was the first event in what the city of Marshall dubbed “Program of Progress” month. The East Texas Theatre Company, Inc. commissioned Emil Weil, Inc., an architecture firm based in New Orleans, to design the 1,500 seat atmospheric theater.

The auditorium is currently used for storage.

On opening day the front windows were decorated with telegrams from prominent movies stars congratulating the theater on the opening. The first feature was “Young Eagles,” starring Buddy Rogers and Jean Arthur, and “Brats,” a Laurel and Hardy comedy short. Live acts, including Rajah Vogi, an East Indian hypnotist, played at the theater during its early years.

Sunlight pours in through holes in the ceiling due to years of water damage.

The Paramount would play a small role in the American Civil Rights Movement by helping to inspire James L. Farmer, Jr., a civil rights activist, to form the Congress of Racial Equality in 1942. Farmer, who was born and raised in Marshall, said that the humiliation of using the segregated entrance and sitting in the balcony were some of the things that inspired him. In 1950, W. L. Gelling, the manager of the Paramount, booked the movie “Pinky” to show in February. “Pinky,” a film about an interracial romance, was banned by the city of Marshall due to its subject matter. Gelling was fined and convicted for showing the film. He appealed his conviction all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, who overturned it.

The Paramount was segregated for most of its time as a theater. Black patrons were forced to use a separate entrance and could only sit in the balcony.

The Paramount closed as a movie theater in the 1970s, and was turned into a western themed dinner theater. The seats on the main level were replaced by a dance floor. After the themed theater closed, the building was purchased in 1986 by Sky Spencer, who intended to turn it into a recording studio. Spencer gradually began to make alterations to the theater, but was unable to complete them and the recording studio never opened. After owning the theater for over two decades, Spencer unsuccessfully tried to sell the Paramount via eBay in 2007.

The remains of the dance floor that was installed when the building was used as a dinner theater.

The theater’s proscenium arch.

Exit, stage left.

View of the auditorium from the balcony.

A closer view of some of the surviving theater details.

The original marquee is still on the front of the building.

The lobby was converted by Spencer to look like an office entrance.

The original estimated cost to build the theater was $150,000. By the time it opened the total cost was $250,000. When adjusted for inflation the cost today would be $3,396,507.

View from the balcony of the auditorium.

The OKLA Theatre opened on July 10, 1931 in McAlester, Oklahoma. It was built on the site of the Palace Theatre, which burned down in December of 1930. Wallace Wilkerson, the owner of the theater building, hired architect W. Scott Dunn to build a new theater on a budget of $50,000. Dunn converted the existing cinema walls into a partial atmospheric style theater. It was built for Robb & Rowley Theatres, but the lease was taken over by Howard Hughes’s theater company, Hughes-Franklin Midwest Theatre Corp LTD.

Architect W. Scott Dunn called it a “revised moderne, semi atmospheric” theater.

The opening day film was “The Man in Possession,” starring Robert Montgomery. Admission prices were 25 cents for the balcony and 35 cents for main level seats. The day after opening, the McAlester News Capital said that, “the theater, in the opinion of patrons, is on a par with the very best found in larger cities.” Hughes-Franklin only ran the 800-seat theater for one year before leasing it back to Robb & Rowley Theatres. In 1950, the premiere of “Rock Island Trail,” starring Forrest Tucker, was held at the theater. The movie was released on the 100th anniversary of the Rock Island Railroad line, part of which runs through McAlester.

View of the auditorium from the stage.

Wilkinson’s heirs sold the building to United Artists Theatres in December of 1983. UA operated the theater for six years before closing on September 4, 1989 due to declining ticket sales. When it closed, the OKLA was the last surviving single screen movie theater in McAlester. A year later, the OKLA was bought by Kiamichi Actors Studio Theatre, Inc., a local performing arts group. KAST intended to restore the theater, but was unable to raise the funds and surrendered the deed to the bank. It was then purchased from the bank by the Ardeneum of Oklahoma Charitable and Educational Foundation, Inc.

The remains of the projector room.

Pride in McAlester, a local community improvement non-profit organization, leased the theater from the Ardeneum in June of 2010 with the intent to restore the theater. They’ve since held several events to raise money for the restoration. In 2012, Pride in McAlester applied for and received a $200,000 grant from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, to be used to remove the lead paint and asbestos in the theater. The current plan is for the theater to be used as a non-profit multi-use community center. It will host concerts, recitals, lectures, movie screenings, community theater, award ceremonies and business meetings. According to a 2010 interview with a Pride in McAlester representative, the renovations will be at least 50% complete by 2015. Donations can be made at the OKLA Theatre’s website. 

The atmospheric blue paint, concealed by a subsequent paint job, is beginning to show through.

The lobby is currently used for storage.

When the original marquee was replaced in 1948, two of the windows on the front of the building were bricked over.

View of the auditorium from the side of the balcony.

A close-up of some of the details on the wall of the main level.

When it opened the OKLA was dubbed “the finest talking picture theater in all of eastern Oklahoma.”

The information in this post was obtained with the help of the Theatre Historical Society of America, for more information including how to join – check out their website at www.historictheatres.org

© Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

In light of the recent demolition of the Boyd Theatre in Philadelphia, I thought I’d post an update for some of the theaters I’ve visited over the years.

View from the balcony of the Loew’s Kings Theatre during renovation.

The Loew’s Kings Theatre in Brooklyn has undergone a $94 million restoration, and will reopen as a performing arts center in late 2014/early 2015.

The large mirrors in the Boyd’s lobby are some of the art deco features that will be preserved.

The Boyd Theatre was demolished in the spring of 2014, despite the efforts of the Friends of the Boyd. This demolition means that Philadelphia is one of the only large cities in America without at least one restored downtown movie palace. Fortunately, the Friends of the Boyd were able to come to an agreement with the owners to preserve some of the art deco features of the theater.

The exterior of the Liberty/Paramount Theatre

The facade of the Paramount Theater in Youngstown, Ohio was going to be preserved, but it proved too costly, and the whole building was demolished in the summer of 2013.

View of the Paramount Theatre from the balcony

The Paramount Theatre in Newark, New Jersey is scheduled to be demolished in the spring of 2014 as part of the Four Corners Millennium Project. The site will be turned into a residential and retail building.

Main level of the Avalon/New Regal Theatre in Chicago, IL

The Avalon/New Regal Theatre in Chicago, Illinois has been sold, and renovations are expected to begin shortly.

View from the upper balcony of the Lyric Theatre.

Renovations have begun at the Lyric Fine Arts Theatre in Birmingham, Alabama. Birmingham Landmarks, which owns the theater, were successful in raising the $7,000,000 needed to restore the theater. The Lyric is scheduled to reopen in late 2014.

View of the Loew’s State auditorium from the box seats.

The New Orleans Downtown Development District and MCC Group, agreed to invest $32 million to restore and reopen the Loew’s State Theatre (State Palace Theatre) as a performing arts center.

© Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Proscenium arch from the balcony, Loew’s Kings Theatre.
B&W Image from the Loew’s Collection, American Theatre Architecture Archive, Theatre Historical Society of America

I’m very excited to announce that I’ve partnered with the Theatre Historical Society of America for my first book: Kings Theatre, The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of Brooklyn’s Wonder Theatre. The book will cover the entire history of the Loew’s Kings Theatre from it’s original construction to the reopening late 2014/early 2015.  I’ve photographed over 50 abandoned theaters over the past 5 years, and being able to document one being restored has been amazing. Every visit to the theater has been awe inspiring and I can’t wait to share what I’ve seen with all of you. 

Thanks to everyone at THS, ACE Theatrical Group, Evergreene Architectural Arts, Martinez + Johnson Architecture and Gilbane Building Company for all the help bringing this project to fruition.

For more information check out the Theatre Historical Society of America’s press release on the project :

http://www.historictheatres.org/assets/Press-Release-Announcing-Theatre-Historical-Society-partners-with-Matt-Lambros-for-Kings-Theatre-Book1.pdf

Over the years, I’ve come across a number of vintage photographs while researching blog posts for After the Final Curtain.  One resource is the Theatre Historical Society of America‘s American Theatre Architecture Archive. With their permission I was able to combine our photographs to create these “rephotographs” showcasing a glimpse of what I have seen over the years. The composite of these images illustrates the rise and fall of these buildings and the potential for what they could become again, if restored.

RKO Keith’s Theatre Flushing, NY B&W Image of the RKO Keith’s Theatre from the Richard L. Hay Collection, American Theatre Architecture Archive, Theatre Historical Society of America

The before photograph of the RKO Keith’s Theatre was taken in the 1930s, and the after was taken in 2011, twenty-five years after the theater closed.

Loew’s Kings Theatre Brooklyn, NY B&W Image from the Loew’s Collection, American Theatre Architecture Archive, Theatre Historical Society of America

The before photograph of the Loew’s Kings Theatre was taken in 1929, and the after was taken in 2010, thirty-three years after it closed.

RKO Hamilton Theatre Manhattan, NY B&W image of the RKO Hamilton Theatre courtesy of the American Theatre Architecture Archive of the Theatre Historical Society of America

The before photograph of the RKO Hamilton Theatre was taken in the 1930s, and the after was taken in 2011, fifty-three years after the theater closed.

Loew’s Palace Theatre Bridgeport, CT B&W image of the Loew’s Palace Theatre courtesy of the American Theatre Architecture Archive of the Theatre Historical Society of America

The before photograph of the Loew’s Palace Theatre was taken in the 1930s, and the after was taken in 2011, thirty-six years after the theater closed.

Proctor’s Palace Theatre Newark, NJ B&W image of Proctor’s Palace Theatre courtesy of the American Theatre Architecture Archive of the Theatre Historical Society of America

The before photograph of the Proctor’s Palace Theatre was taken in the 1940s, and the after was taken in 2010, forty-two years after the theater closed.

Limited Edition Prints of these images are available at http://www.mlambrosphotography.com/rephotographs

A portion of sales from this limited edition print run will benefit the Theatre Historical Society of America and support their mission to document and celebrate the history of America’s theatres. For more information — check out their website at www.historictheatres.org

© Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Franklin Park Theatre Dorchester, MA

Help me pick the next blog post on After the Final Curtain! Cast a vote for the theater you’d like to see next on the site, and whichever has the most votes by Thursday 6/19 will be featured in a blog post on Friday 6/20!

View from the balcony of the Adams Theatre.

View from the balcony of the Russell Theatre.

Everett Square Theatre Boston, MA

View from the balcony of the Logan Theatre in Philadelphia, PA

Thanks for voting! The Russell Theatre is the winner! 

View from the box seats Adams Theatre Newark, NJ - Sold Out

Summer is about to begin so it’s time for a print sale at After the Final Curtain!

Earlier this year, I had an exhibition in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and have a nine leftover framed prints. These 12×18 prints were framed by me, and are signed and numbered.

Check out the prints at: http://www.mlambrosphotography.com/framedprintsale or at the links in the image captions.

Each framed print retails for $275.00, but if you use the code “frameprintsale” at checkout, you’ll receive $75.00 off the price.

In addition, all the images on the Prints page will be 20% off until July 19 if you use the code “20offsummerprint” at checkout.

Prints hanging at the Jean Cocteau Gallery in Santa Fe, NM

Loew’s Kings Theatre Framed 12×18 print.

Loew’s State Theatre framed 12×18 print.

Paramount Theatre framed 12×18 print.

Lobby, Loew’s Kings Theatre framed 12×18 print.

Ceiling, Uptown Theatre Philadelphia, PA framed print.

Loew’s Palace Theatre framed 12×18 print.

Majestic Theatre framed 12×18 print.

Paramount Theatre framed 12×18 print.

View of the auditorium from the balcony.

The Russell Theatre opened on December 4, 1930 in Maysville, Kentucky. Plans to build the theater were announced in 1929 by Col. J. Barbour Russell, a local businessman. Russell hired the architectural firm of Frankel and Curtis to design the theater. It was built on the site of a grocery warehouse owned by the Russell family at a cost of around $200,000. Russell envisioned the 700 seat theater as a grand movie palace, saying, “what the Roxy is to New York, the Russell will be to Maysville.”

The theater’s lobby has already been restored.

The atmospheric-style theater opened with the movie “Whoopee,” starring Eddie Cantor. It operated primarily as a movie house, but did have some vaudeville shows in the early years. The world premiere of “The Stars are Singing” was held at the Russell in 1953. Rosemary Clooney, the star of the film, was born and raised in Maysville.

Rosemary Clooney wore this outfit in her film ” The Stars are Singing”, which premiered at the theater.

After the theater closed in the early 1980s, the building was used as a restaurant, clothing store and used furniture store before being abandoned. During that time, a storm ripped part of the roof off, causing water damage in the auditorium.

A close of up of some plasterwork in the auditorium.

A group of Maysville citizens formed the Russell Theatre Foundation in 1995 in response to the deterioration in the theater. They purchased the theater in 1996 for $37,000 and began renovations. They then installed a new roof to prevent further water damage in the auditorium and restored the facade, marquee and lobby area. The Foundation is currently working to raise the remaining 1.5 million dollars needed to restore the auditorium. Donations can be made at their website: www.russelltheatre.org

The upper area of the balcony was used as segregated seating for African Americans. It had a separate entrance as well as a separate bathroom.

The projectors remain in the projector room.

A close up of one of the projectors.

This wall was undamaged during the years the theater was abandoned.

To add to the atmospheric effects, a rainbow was projected across the screen after every show.

The theater marquee was restored in 2002.

Except for a few rows in the balcony, the seats were sold to another Kentucky theater.

View of the auditorium from the side of the balcony.

The Everett Square Theatre opened in 1915 in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It was designed by Boston architect Harry M. Ramsay for the Littlefield Trust, the original owner of the theater. The 798 seat theater cost $65,000 ($1.5 million in 2014 when adjusted for inflation) to build, and was part of the M&P Theatre circuit.

On May 17, 1936 two men were caught breaking into the theater, and were convicted based on the marks left in the door by their lock picking tools. The police used a new tool called mulage, a plastic substance that makes impressions, to collect the evidence that convicted them.

While the original building permits refer to the theater as a “moving picture house,” it also hosted vaudeville and live music during its early years. Famed vaudeville comedian Milton Berle played the theater on May 25, 1925, and signed his name backstage after he finished performing. In 1933, Everett Square, where the theater was located, was renamed Logan Square, and the following year the theater was renamed the Fairmount Theatre. By the mid-1940s the theater had discontinued the live performances and only showed motion pictures.  

A close up of the proscenium arch.

The Everett Square reopened as the Nu Pixie Cinema on December 26, 1969. As the theater had less than a 1,000 seat maxi-cinema, but more than a 200 seat mini-cinema, the new owner described it as a “pixie” cinema, and named it such. It was renamed Premiere Performances in the early 1980s, which brought live shows back to the theater. In the mid 1980s it was used as an auction house before being abandoned.

A painting of characters from the Wizard of Oz adorns one of the auditorium walls.

The building was purchased in 1986 by a group of Hyde Park business owners who intended to restore and reopen it. They formed a group called Showtime Restoration Volunteers and mounted two efforts to raise the funds for restoration, but both attempts were unsuccessful. In 2008, Hyde Park Main Streets and Historic Boston Inc. took an interest in the theater. With the help of those organizations, the owners were able to get a $30,000 grant to replicate the original sign and restore the theater’s foyer. A full restoration is estimated to cost between $5 and $10 million.

The foyer was restored in 2011.

The new sign is a replica of the original, and was lighted on Jan 6, 2011 as part of a celebration for the renovation of the foyer.

The projectors are long gone but some equipment remains in the projection room.

Showtime Restoration Volunteers cleaned up much of the interior of the theater by removing the old seats and the debris from the crumbling ceiling.

A bomb threat was called in to the theater in April of 1962, but after the theater was cleared and searched by the police, it was proven to be a hoax.

© Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

September 27 Photo Workshop #1 at the Everett Square Theatre in Boston, MA

I’m excited to announce that on September 27 and 28 I’ll be partnering with photographer/founder of Abandoned America, Matthew Christopher for two photo workshops in Massachusetts.

Dates/Times:

September 27, 2014 from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM at the Everett Square Theatre in Boston, MA

September 28, 2014 from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM at the Victory Theatre in Holyoke, MA

For more information and to purchase tickets visit the following links:

Everett Square Theatre Workshop

Victory Theatre Workshop

Sept 28 Photo Workshop #2 at the Victory Theatre in Holyoke, MA

Hi Everyone – I’m on another road trip to photograph America’s abandoned theaters. This time I’m traveling up the west coast of the United States. Keep checking back over the next week for more updates!

View from the back of the auditorium.

The UC Theatre originally opened in 1917 in Berkeley, California. It closed in March 2001, and was designated a landmark the following year. Plans are underway to turn the theater in to a live music venue. For more information check out their website and facebook pages.

https://www.facebook.com/theuctheatre

http://www.theuctheatre.org/

© Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matthew Lambros and After the Final Curtain with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

View from the rear of the Inglewood Fox auditorium.

The Inglewood Fox Theatre opened on March 31, 1949. It closed in 1988, and was added to the National Historic Register in late 2012. For more info about the theater check out the Inglewood Fox Theatre Alliance: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Inglewood-Fox-Theatre-Alliance/137338472943207

View of the auditorium from the main level.

The Fox Theatre in Fullerton, CA opened in 1925. Designed by Raymond M. Kennedy, it was a sister theater to the Egyptian, and Chinese Theatres. The Fox closed in 1987, and was scheduled for demolition until a campaign to restore the building was launched in 2000.

Read more about the theater at: http://www.foxfullerton.org/w/