With the rise of Hollywood and the entertainment industry in the early 20th century, the demand for highly ornate movie palaces and theaters increased across the country. The names of Fox, Paramount, Warner, and more invested in the construction of theater locations to proudly feature their works and draw a crowd from the eager cinema-going public.
Much has changed from the entertainment of today to that of one hundred years ago. The early days of cinema, from the invention of the Vitascope, started in the New York and New Jersey area with the first “motion picture” shown to paying audiences on West 34th Street at Koster and Bail’s Music Hall in New York City. However, production costs quickly pushed filmmakers West. Profiting from the diverse California landscape, clement year-round temperatures, and the cheap costs of land and labor, Hollywood was born. By the 1920s, technology had progressed in rapid time bringing voices to the screen, immortalizing the total glamor of stars, starlets, fashion, and luxury.
Fox Theatre auditorium after restoration. Our work included conservation cleaning and restoration of the auditorium canopy.
Ticket sales increased from 40 million per week in 1920 to 100 million in 1930. The entrance was inexpensive and brought together all walks of life from high-brow to low. Audiences were mesmerized, and part of the cinema experience was the opulent “Picture Palaces.” As a result, hundreds of incredible theaters were constructed during this short period of time. These beautiful interiors, combined with theater storytelling, provided an escape from the routine of life into a picture-perfect cinema world.
As cinema entertainment has changed over time, with audiences opting for television at home over going out to the theater, the demand for the Theatre Palace has drastically decreased, leaving behind hundreds of beautiful entertainment spaces in need of adaptation, restoration, and renewal. Efforts in the theater restoration world are continually brainstorming on how best to efficiently preserve these historic masterpieces to meet modern needs.
Canning has worked on several such projects to preserve the glory of American cinemas, music halls, and entertainment houses, whether it be in the early stages of project development, building adaptation strategy, and fundraising, or, of course, onsite with plaster stabilization, decorative painting, and mural conservation. The long-term goal is always to develop a plan of restoration for productive use and assurance of preservation for future generations.
The theaters and entertainment spaces of the early twentieth century were designed to draw crowds, inspiring wonder by adding to the theater atmosphere. The restoration of these interiors creates a similar effect, as the restored beauty and ornament set the stage for the entertainment. One of the exciting elements of theater design is the range of creativity from one interior to the next. For example, the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA was designed to look like a luxurious tent pitched under the night sky, Radio City to offer the effect of modern glamor with a gilded, art-deco palace; Herbst Theater at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center the reserved elegance of the Beaux-Arts; Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, Massachusetts with an American twist on Beaux-Arts and Erie, Pennsylvania’s Warner Theatre the total jaw-dropping, opulence of French Renaissance decoration. These four vastly different interiors were all completed within just twelve years of each other. The range of style not only suggests an intent to wow theater-goers with a unique experience but also an element of playfulness and fantasy. These interiors, from the mystique of the Far East to the splendor of Beaux-Arts, offer audiences of yesterday and today an exclusive invitation to dress up for a night out of this world but maybe just around the corner.
(Left) Warner Theatre after restoration that included the reinstatement of designs/motifs and plasterwork. (Right) Colonial Theatre after restoration. We restored the plasterwork throughout the main auditorium and public spaces.
To see Canning’s full body of Theater and Entertainment space restoration projects, click here. Further information on the projects mentioned above is linked in the paragraph.
Though this may seem a romantic idea, time and again we have found great success giving lectures to the local community to share the history of the building and the possibilities for restoration. Through paint exposures, the original decoration is revealed beneath whitewash paint, and full-scale, wall mock-ups provide examples of the final product. Watercolor renderings may also be developed during the project planning stages for both design and fundraising purposes. These investigative processes shed light on potential reuse adaptations and restoration, as well as captivate interested parties with excitement and beauty. Once the center of social life, the soul of these beautiful theaters belongs to the people. If these buildings are to be restored, the key to the project is revitalizing local interest and drawing the community back to the People’s Palace.
