Maybe it was Belmont Park, then, but the theater itself was north of the Belmont Park border (Belmont, Laramie, Diversey, and the Northwestern Tracks). What I meant was that Belmont Park is not an official Neighborhood or Community Area name, but a subdivision within a neighborhood.
I searched for that phrase. It’s all about context. Illinois had rapidly dwindling coal supplies at the beginning of May 1946 due to a coal strike, and theaters could operate only from 2-6pm; all commerce & industry was affected. This wasn’t good business generally, so most shut their doors until the rule was changed May 10 to normal hours Fri-Sun and closed otherwise. The strike was resolved and things went back to normal minus display and ornamental lights on May 11. The theaters whose ads said “we make our own power” “our own electric power” “Open under our own power from today onwards” “we have our own power plant” had generators, or generated their own power from oil or incinerators.
It’s still The Chicago Theatre. The masthead on the website reads “The Chicago Theatre presented by Chase” but I don’t see anywhere else using that verbiage. I figured out the date by going through Flickr.
http://timeoutchicago.com/things-to-do/this-week-in-chicago/15023003/chase-logo-on-chicago-theatre-what%E2%80%99s-up-with-that It was installed about October 3-4, 2011.
“Bryn Mawr Avenue was named in the 1880s by Edgewater developer John Lewis Cochran after Bryn Mawr station on the Main Line north of Philadelphia.[2] Bryn Mawr is Welsh for Big Hill.”
I doubt there was room for projectors when it was done. The place is just too small and narrow – only 10 seats wide. As much as I love old theaters, this should have been turned into a store, they could have built a better theater in almost any building and fit more than 148 people in it. How difficult can it be to have “perfect acoustics” in such a tiny space? 1.5 million could have gone a lot farther elsewhere.
Most photographers don’t care as long as they have credit, but if they complain their photos should be removed.
It wasn’t long ago that I was the junior member of THSA and itching to do something. I’m sure he’ll soon learn how to use that energy more productively. I did a lot of structured research and photography with that energy.
I know you can’t go into specifics, but can you speak generally about the ideas that IIT has publicly presented? It seems to me that the Ramova would be difficult as a 1200+ seat live venue (no stage, no parking, neighborhood not very dense with no nearby el, limited lobby space, large volume and low flat ceiling make for difficult acoustics, etc), but something more like the Biograph (hopefully with more of the original decoration replicated, unlike their generic interior) would be feasible. Sort of like the unrealized Dupage concept or the shrunken Paramount in Boston.
What about adaptive use as plan B? The Ramova could make a fine tribute to the Daley family if it were restored as a library branch, replacing the smaller one up the street, and that would be a good reason for the city to restore and renovate it.
Let me know if you’d rather I contact you privately.
It is very confusing. People shouldn’t have to visit 7 different facebook pages to find the one that actually has information and a relationship to the theater. The other 6 have some nice pictures, but no indication who took them. I don’t see any reason those photos couldn’t have been posted to the main page (or, for that matter, to this Cinematreasures page). Confusing people and diluting supporters doesn’t help the Ramova, and I hope the various creators of these pages can get over whatever inspired them to splinter off and work together for the good of this theater.
Oh, I see that they did that. http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/hammond/calumet-theater-being-readied-for-demolition/article_54f25eff-cabf-5831-a593-d03134b9e56d.html
FDIC.
Maybe it was Belmont Park, then, but the theater itself was north of the Belmont Park border (Belmont, Laramie, Diversey, and the Northwestern Tracks). What I meant was that Belmont Park is not an official Neighborhood or Community Area name, but a subdivision within a neighborhood.
Theatre Historical Society of America.
Named for being on the border of BELmont-Cragin and Portage PARK. There is no such thing as Belmont Park.
1927-1957 was 30 years.
THS has a few old photos.
The Economist lists Foltz & Brand as architects.
The American Contractor lists Arthur Howell Knox as architect.
I searched for that phrase. It’s all about context. Illinois had rapidly dwindling coal supplies at the beginning of May 1946 due to a coal strike, and theaters could operate only from 2-6pm; all commerce & industry was affected. This wasn’t good business generally, so most shut their doors until the rule was changed May 10 to normal hours Fri-Sun and closed otherwise. The strike was resolved and things went back to normal minus display and ornamental lights on May 11. The theaters whose ads said “we make our own power” “our own electric power” “Open under our own power from today onwards” “we have our own power plant” had generators, or generated their own power from oil or incinerators.
Some great photos from 2000 are here
Some great photos from 2000 are here
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=320584454656096&set=a.238894979491711.59426.233388040042405&type=1&ref=nf The interior’s pretty much gone.
http://tribune-files.imagefortress.com/attachment1s/209313/medium_wm/AEI-090-CT_F.JPG?1276085002 This appears to be the Apollo in 1929.
Originally operated by Hyman & Hirsch
It’s still The Chicago Theatre. The masthead on the website reads “The Chicago Theatre presented by Chase” but I don’t see anywhere else using that verbiage. I figured out the date by going through Flickr.
The sign was always meant to have a name of some sort up there, though.
http://timeoutchicago.com/things-to-do/this-week-in-chicago/15023003/chase-logo-on-chicago-theatre-what%E2%80%99s-up-with-that It was installed about October 3-4, 2011.
A cornice fragment from the Garrick is at the Springold Theater Arts Center at Brandeis University in Massachusetts.
“Bryn Mawr Avenue was named in the 1880s by Edgewater developer John Lewis Cochran after Bryn Mawr station on the Main Line north of Philadelphia.[2] Bryn Mawr is Welsh for Big Hill.”
I doubt there was room for projectors when it was done. The place is just too small and narrow – only 10 seats wide. As much as I love old theaters, this should have been turned into a store, they could have built a better theater in almost any building and fit more than 148 people in it. How difficult can it be to have “perfect acoustics” in such a tiny space? 1.5 million could have gone a lot farther elsewhere.
http://chsmedia.org/media/hb/04/HB20393a.jpg http://chsmedia.org/media/hb/04/HB20393b.jpg http://chsmedia.org/media/hb/04/HB20393c.jpg http://chsmedia.org/media/hb/04/HB20393d.jpg
Most photographers don’t care as long as they have credit, but if they complain their photos should be removed.
It wasn’t long ago that I was the junior member of THSA and itching to do something. I’m sure he’ll soon learn how to use that energy more productively. I did a lot of structured research and photography with that energy.
I know you can’t go into specifics, but can you speak generally about the ideas that IIT has publicly presented? It seems to me that the Ramova would be difficult as a 1200+ seat live venue (no stage, no parking, neighborhood not very dense with no nearby el, limited lobby space, large volume and low flat ceiling make for difficult acoustics, etc), but something more like the Biograph (hopefully with more of the original decoration replicated, unlike their generic interior) would be feasible. Sort of like the unrealized Dupage concept or the shrunken Paramount in Boston.
What about adaptive use as plan B? The Ramova could make a fine tribute to the Daley family if it were restored as a library branch, replacing the smaller one up the street, and that would be a good reason for the city to restore and renovate it.
Let me know if you’d rather I contact you privately.
It is very confusing. People shouldn’t have to visit 7 different facebook pages to find the one that actually has information and a relationship to the theater. The other 6 have some nice pictures, but no indication who took them. I don’t see any reason those photos couldn’t have been posted to the main page (or, for that matter, to this Cinematreasures page). Confusing people and diluting supporters doesn’t help the Ramova, and I hope the various creators of these pages can get over whatever inspired them to splinter off and work together for the good of this theater.
Oh, I see that they did that. http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/hammond/calumet-theater-being-readied-for-demolition/article_54f25eff-cabf-5831-a593-d03134b9e56d.html
How sad. I see a lot of things in your album that would be very worthwhile to salvage, given the chance.
http://arcchicago.blogspot.com/2011/12/door-to-heart-bertrand-goldberg.html Here are a couple photos showing Bertrand Goldberg’s remodeling.
Before they found the space at the York, THSA almost set up their operations there. It’s not the most practical space.