I’m on a roadtrip photographing theaters across the Midwest — check back for updates next week!
Month: May 2011
Montauk Theatre
The Montauk Theatre during demolition
The Montauk Theatre opened on January 30, 1924 in Passaic, NJ on the site of a former vaudeville theater — also called the Montauk Theatre — that was popular in the early 1900’s. Designed by local architect Abram Presikel in the Adamesque style, the theater sat 2,638 people and was operated by the Fabian Enterprises theater chain (which was known for showing both First National Pictures and Warner Bros. films). Continue reading
Center Theatre
The interior of the Center Theatre
The Center Theatre is an art deco theater that was designed by architect Abraham H. Okun and built in 1938. Okun was a prominent local architect at the time, known for many other buildings in the county (such as the Ohave Shalom Synagogue). Located in the hamlet of Woodbourne, NY in the Borscht Belt (an area of the Catskills known for being a popular vacation spot for Jewish people from the New York metropolitan area), it was the first air-conditioned theater in Sullivan county. Continue reading
Beacon Theatre
The Beacon Theatre was built in 1928 and was intended to be a vaudeville house. However, the Great Depression pushed the opening date back six years. The Beacon finally opened as a movie theater in 1934. It was built in the art deco style and was advertised as “the most beautiful theater from New York City to Albany,” and sat 1,100 people.
After the Final Curtain 