Hi Everyone,
I’m currently in London checking out some of England’s amazing theaters. The picture above is the remnants of the Kingsland Empire Theatre which opened in 1915. It’s located above the Rio Cinema, a smaller art deco theater, that was built inside the Kingsland in 1937.
Warner Theatre – Huntington Park, CA
Hi everyone! I’ll be making appearances across the US to promote my two books, “After the Final Curtain: The Fall of the American Movie Theater” and “Kings Theatre: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of Brooklyn’s Wonder Theatre.”
Here are the kick off events for 2017:
I’ll be speaking and signing books at the Red Room at KGB Bar in New York City on March 21, 2017 at 7PM. Tickets can be purchased at: http://www.atlasobscura.com/events/after-the-final-curtain
View of the Studebaker Theatre from the stage.
On April 22 and 23 I’ll have a table at the New Bedford Bookfest in New Bedford, MA. There will be a lecture with a Q&A session on Saturday, April 22 from 1:30PM to 3PM at the fest. Tickets are $10, or $50 with a signed copy of “After the Final Curtain: The Fall of the American Movie Theater.”
Everette Square Theatre – Boston, MA
Have you ever wanted to tour an abandoned theater with me? Well, you’re in luck! On May 4 at 6PM I’ll be speaking at the Hyde Park branch of the Boston Public Library, then taking everyone who attends on a tour of the Everett Square Theatre! Visit Art Week Boston for more information.
Copies of both books will be available at all events.
There will be more events throughout 2017 so if there’s somewhere you’d like me to speak, let me know in the comments below!
Somerville Theatre Somerville, MA
Hi Everyone! My first book, After the Final Curtain: The Fall of the American Movie Theater, launched this week. It’s available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or at your local bookstore. Signed copies are available at my site: http://www.afterthefinalcurtainprints.com/product/after-the-final-curtain-the-fall-of-the-american-movie-theater
Thank you to everyone who came to the lecture/launch party for the book at the Somerville Theatre in Somerville, MA! There are plans for similar events in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and even London. Details for those will be released soon. If you’d like me to come speak at your local theater or bookstore let me know!
The blog will return to regular updates on Monday November 21 with the Ritz Theatre in Carteret, NJ. Here’s a sneak peek at some theaters I recently photographed to tide you over until then.
Carolina Theatre Charlotte, NC
Gem Theatre Cairo, IL
Pantheon Theatre Vincennes, Indiana
View from the stage Portage Theatre Chicago, IL
I’m very excited to announce that I’ll be giving a lecture on abandoned theaters in partnership with the Theatre Historical Society of America, at the Portage Theatre in Chicago, IL on Thursday November 13, 2014.
Doors open at 6:30 and the lecture starts at 7:00. Admission is free.
The lecture will be an updated version of “The Fall of the American Movie Palace” with some of my more recent work, including some photographs of the Loew’s Kings Theatre renovation.
The lobby and main level of this theater have been used as a grocery store since the late 1960s.
Tickets are now available for my February 17 lecture at the Jean Cocteau Cinema in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The lecture starts at 6:20 PM. Tickets can be purchased at the following links:
http://webtixs.easytixs.com/JeanCocteauCinema/TicketingTodaysEventsPage.aspx?BusinessDate=2014-2-17
The Exhibition opens on February 16. Check out the theater’s website for more information.
The exterior of the Jean Cocteau Theatre. Photo: Suzanne Kessler
I’m very excited to announce that I’ll be giving a lecture on abandoned theaters on February 17 at the Jean-Cocteau Theatre in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A selection of my images will be exhibited at the theater’s gallery space until March 17.
Below is a brief history of the theater from it’s website:
“The Jean Cocteau Cinema opened as the Collective Fantasy Cinema in 1976. Brent Kliewer, programmer for the Collective Fantasy, bought the theater in 1983 and renamed it the Jean Cocteau in reverence to the French filmmaker and artist. Kliewer, who remains the programmer for The Screen in Santa Fe, sold it to Blue Pearl Corporation in 1986.
Trans-Lux Corporation purchased the venue in 1989 and ran the theatre, which has a single screen and 120 seats, until closing it in April of 2006. The state of New Mexico then leased offices above the theater and the theater itself as the home for the state film office, with plans to make the theatre auditorium into a film museum. Funding for that project never came to fruition and the film office left the theater and offices in 2010. Trans-Lux still owned the theater, which stood vacant until it was purchased by author George R R Martin in 2013, who reopened it on August 9, 2013.
The theater shows film on 35 mm and digitally as well, combining the best of the old with the best of the new, including Santa Fe’s only ‘Midnight Movie’ series, with a different title being offered each weekend at 11 PM.”
For more information on the space check out the Jean Cocteau website and their Facebook page.
National Theatre Detroit, MI
Just a quick reminder – there are still tickets available to my lecture at the Observatory in Brooklyn on December 3 at 7:30PM.
Tickets can be purchased at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4687750187?ref=elink
For more information about the lecture check out Atlas Obscura and the Observatory’s websites.
http://atlasobscura.com/blog/american-palace
http://observatoryroom.org/2012/11/07/the-fall-of-the-american-movie-palace-2/
Proctor’s Palace Theatre, Yonkers, New York.
On December 3, I’ll be giving another lecture on the Fall of the American Movie Palace as part of the Atlas Obscura Speakers series at the Observatory in Brooklyn. I’ll be adding some new images and information, so if you came to the first one, there’s still a reason to check it out.
Here’s some information about it from the Observatory’s website:
There’s nothing remarkable about a movie theater today, but there used to be. When the great American Movie Palaces opened, they were some of the most lavish, stunning buildings anyone had ever seen. With the birth of the multiplex, theater companies found it harder and harder to keep these buildings open. Some were demolished, some were converted, and some remain to this day. “The Fall of the American Movie Palace” will take you through the history of these magnificent buildings, from their opening in the early 1900s to years after the final curtain.
Check out Atlas Obscura for more information, and to purchase tickets. http://atlasobscura.com/blog/american-palace
Tickets can also be purchased at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4687750187/eorg
Metropolitan Opera House Philadelphia, PA
Thank you to everyone who came out to the lecture on Saturday night! I’ll be giving another lecture for the Woodbury Historical Society on September 23rd. It will be held at the Woodbury Senior Center in Highland Mills, NY from 2-4pm.
For more information check out their website:
http://woodburyhistoricalsociety.org/events.html
View of the Shore Theatre from the balcony.
Just a reminder – From the Balcony print sale is still on until September 14.
The sizes available are:
8.5″x11″ – $25.00
12″x18″ – $50.00
16″x24″ – $75.00
Check out the From the Balcony post for more information.
View of the Loew’s Palace Theatre from the balcony.
Hi everyone – I want to let you all know about an upcoming event.
On August 18, I’ll be giving a lecture on “The Fall of the American Movie Palace” as part of the Atlas Obscura Speakers series of talks at the Observatory in Brooklyn.
Here’s some information about it from the Observatory’s website:
There’s nothing remarkable about a movie theater today, but there used to be. When the great American Movie Palaces opened, they were some of the most lavish, stunning buildings anyone had ever seen. With the birth of the multiplex, theater companies found it harder and harder to keep these buildings open. Some were demolished, some were converted, and some remain to this day. “The Fall of the American Movie Palace” will take you through the history of these magnificent buildings, from their opening in the early 1900s to years after the final curtain.
Check out Atlas Obscura for more information, and to purchase tickets. http://atlasobscura.com/blog/Obscura-Society-NYC-Movie-Palace
Tickets can also be purchased at http://obscura-society-nyc-movie-palace-es2.eventbrite.com/?srnk=1
After the Final Curtain 