It wouldn’t make much sense circulating an additional press release, so it’s best on behalf of the Facebook and RKO Foundation. I was planning to do it and have the RKO Foundation approve it. I can e-mail it to you. It contains some great information on its history and current preservation status, which I am unsure you have. The ideas should be incorporated. Can I send it to you in draft mode, as well as my updated press and political contacts list consisting of hundreds? Please let me know what you think. Thanks!
As stated in my e-mail, I have experience appealing to community boards, local politicians, and the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, as well as writing a press release to further promote the fundraising aspect and preservation ethic. What are your thoughts? Would it be okay to include the Paypal link? I will not proceed without your approval. Your 2 feasibility study proposals has great potential.
Hi John, Thank you very much for your detailed assessment of your correspondence with Jenny Fernandez of the LPC. It sounds forthcoming, so let’s continue to hope that all goes smoothly, and may we all be in the forefront.
This is a Midway Theatre photoset courtesy of Rego-Forest Preservation Council. The photos can be viewed in various resolutions and downloaded for future reference: View link
I will update it with interior views shortly.
As a 1939 World’s Fair enthusiast and Chair of Rego-Forest Preservation Council (serving Rego Park & Forest Hills), this will be a commendable project. I am interested in learning more. I also left you a comment on ReactionGrid’s flickr profile.
I founded the Committee To Save The Trylon Theater in 2005. The upper streamlined Art Deco facade & glass block projection tower remains with a renovated marquee, but some of the most significant attributes are sacrificed in the name of progress (in the unideal sense). The Trylon-adorned mosaic ticket booth was jackhammered, the entrance pavilion’s mosaic floor with chevrons and a central terrazzo element of a 3D interpretation of the Trylon Monument was cemented over. There is now a faux marble wall with wooden doors out to the curb. I am confident that these alterations could be reversed in years to come. The Trylon fountain inside the lobby was either sheet rocked over or jackhammered, and the World of Tomorrow murals that graced the proscenium are rumored to be gone. This was all due to an unresponsive councilmember and the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission that claimed they waited for her advanced opinion on the issue, which isn’t required as per the Landmarks Law.
Do you hope to rebuild the Trylon Theater in 3D based upon existing photos and any historic blueprints that may exist? Please let me know your plans. You can e-mail me at as well as post here so other fans can learn and get involved in any way. Thank you!
Hi Everyone! I hope you are having a pleasant Labor Day weekend. Sorry for my noticeable absence on the CT site, but I have been keeping a close eye on the theater’s fate. I called the following individual a few days back, and she said she will either e-mail me or call, and let me know when the theater facade is up for a vote by the commissioners, in order to decide whether it will be designated an Individual Landmark. According to media accounts with the LPC, the date will be in mid-September, but that was published a while back. I will let you know as soon as I receive any response. It would be of great help if you can call and question it as well, and encourage them to take a vote very shortly. Thank you!
Jenny Fernández
Director of Intergovernmental & Community Relations
NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission
1 Centre Street, 9th Floor North
New York, NY 10007
P: (212) 669-7923
F: (212) 669-7780
.gov
Would you be interested in any theaters in NY’s 5 boroughs? I am a historic preservationist, who has brokered deals, resulting in the sparing and adaptive reuse of endangered sites. I might be able to assist you. I look forward to hearing some of your ideas. Please e-mail me at Thank you! – Michael Perlman
The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission will hold a Public Hearing, which will determine its eligibility as a NYC Individual Landmark. The hearing is set for Tuesday, March 24, 2009 from 11:25 AM – 12:00 PM at the Municipal Building, 1 Centre St, 9th Floor North, NY, NY 10007, and public testimony will be taken: View link
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Please attend and provide testimony at the March 24th Public Hearing. Reference the Ridgewood Theatre’s architectural, cultural, historical significance, request Individual Landmark status, and include any personal sentiment toward the theater, and the need for more Queens landmarks and theater landmarks. Your testimony can be brief. Also, please forward this posting to other contacts, so we can achieve a landmark victory. Power to the people!
If you cannot attend the public hearing, please e-mail your testimony/support letter to the following addresses: Chairman Robert Tierney .gov and Dir. of Research Mary Beth Betts .gov and .gov with a carbon copy to Your letter can be brief.
History: Opening its doors on December 23, 1916 and closing in March 2008, the Ridgewood Theatre was deemed the longest continuously operating first-run neighborhood theater citywide, and potentially throughout the U.S. It staged Vaudeville, silent films, saw the advent of photoplays, the first ‘100% All-Talkingâ€\ feature, Lights of New York (1928), and Technicolor. Its original seating capacity was 2,500, but currently contains 5 screens and seats 1,950. Modeled after Times Squareâ€\s long-demolished Mark Strand Theatre (the Worldâ€\s 1st movie palace), the $250,000 gem was designed by Americaâ€\s foremost theater architect, Thomas Lamb, & built by the Levy Brothers. The 3-story Indiana limestone and terra cotta façade is highly ornate, incorporating unique geometric patterns, medallions, a frieze, pilasters, and proudly boasts Ridgewood Theatre across the top. Interior murals originally depicted the history of Ridgewood.
Economic status/Significance of theaters: Theaters are the ‘ultimate public institutionsâ€\ which bridge the generations, as they foster community growth and pride, harbor countless memories, and often exhibit the work of our countryâ€\s most skillful architects. Commissioned architects hoped to leave a long-lasting impression of grandeur, confidence, serenity, and comfort; a bold step away from the pressures of society. When sacrificed in the name of progress, their loss is most heartfelt. Local theaters with an unfortunate fate include the Oasis, Parthenon, Irving, and RKO Madison Theatre (retail), but the Ridgewood Theatre can be economically viable if preserved and adaptively reused for theater-related purposes. It would contribute to an up and coming neighborhood and a diverse borough, and would boost jobs.
Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre, Founder & Chair
4 Boro Preservation Alliance Corp, Queens VP
Rego-Forest Preservation Council, Chair
Queens Preservation Council, Bd. of Dir.
Central Queens Historical Association, Bd of Dir
Thank you! To ensure delivery to various LPC parties, please e-mail your testimony/support letter to the following addresses:
Chairman Robert Tierney: .gov
Dir. of Research Mary Beth Betts: .gov
Public hearing address: .gov
Carbon copy Michael Perlman, Chair of Friends of Ridgewood Theatre:
GREAT NEWS!!! The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission will hold a Public Hearing for the Ridgewood Theatre, which will determine its eligibility as a NYC Individual Landmark. The hearing is set for Tues, March 24, 2009 from 11:25 AM – 12:00 PM at the Municipal Building, 1 Centre St, 9th Floor North, NY, NY 10007, and public testimony will be taken: View link
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Please attend and provide testimony at the March 24th Public Hearing. Reference the Ridgewood Theatre’s architectural, cultural, historical significance, request Individual Landmark status, and include any personal sentiment toward the theater, and the need for more Queens landmarks and theater landmarks. Your testimony can be brief. Also, please forward this posting to other contacts, so we can achieve a landmark victory. Power to the people!
If you cannot attend the public hearing, please e-mail your testimony/support letter to the following addresses: Chairman Robert Tierney .gov and Dir. of Research Mary Beth Betts .gov and .gov with a carbon copy to
History: Opening its doors on December 23, 1916 and closing in March 2008, the Ridgewood Theatre was deemed the longest continuously operating first-run neighborhood theater citywide, and potentially throughout the U.S. It staged Vaudeville, silent films, saw the advent of photoplays, the first ‘100% All-Talkingâ€\ feature, Lights of New York (1928), and Technicolor. Its original seating capacity was 2,500, but currently contains 5 screens and seats 1,950. Modeled after Times Squareâ€\s long-demolished Mark Strand Theatre (the Worldâ€\s 1st movie palace), the $250,000 gem was designed by Americaâ€\s foremost theater architect, Thomas Lamb, & built by the Levy Brothers. The 3-story Indiana limestone and terra cotta façade is highly ornate, incorporating unique geometric patterns, medallions, a frieze, pilasters, and proudly boasts Ridgewood Theatre across the top. Interior murals originally depicted the history of Ridgewood.
Economic status/Significance of theaters: Theaters are the ‘ultimate public institutionsâ€\ which bridge the generations, as they foster community growth and pride, harbor countless memories, and often exhibit the work of our countryâ€\s most skillful architects. Commissioned architects hoped to leave a long-lasting impression of grandeur, confidence, serenity, and comfort; a bold step away from the pressures of society. When sacrificed in the name of progress, their loss is most heartfelt. Local theaters with an unfortunate fate include the Oasis, Parthenon, Irving, and RKO Madison Theatre (retail), but the Ridgewood Theatre can be economically viable if preserved and adaptively reused for theater-related purposes. It would contribute to an up and coming neighborhood and a diverse borough, and would boost jobs.
Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre, Founder & Chair
4 Boro Preservation Alliance Corp, Queens VP
Rego-Forest Preservation Council, Chair
Queens Preservation Council, Bd. of Dir.
Central Queens Historical Association, Bd of Dir
To KSwizz: Hi! Thank you for sharing these amazing historic blueprints. Two questions…
In order to help preserve the Loew’s Canal Theatre for future generations, it would be much appreciated if you would permit me to upload your photos to flickr, and place them in a photoset. You would receive credit, if you prefer. Please let me know if that will be possible. Also, do you have any photos available in a higher resolution to read the specifications on the blueprints? Please reply here or e-mail me at and let me know. Thanks! – Michael
Does anyone have any historic or semi-historic photos of this theater as the Ideal Theatre, Squire, Esquire, Cinecitta, Cameo, or Adonis? Any interior photos? Please e-mail me at and please point me in the right direction. I contacted the Avery Library, but no blueprints were on file. I will also contact some other sources, but would appreciate any advice. Thanks!
To Chinowitz: Thank you for your reply! When you visited the Avery Library, did you take any digital photos of the historic blueprints? It would be useful in any preservation efforts.
Thanks, Gary! Please let me know if there any theaters from the borough of Queens, and what those theaters might be. If I decide to purchase it, I would like to know what is featured.
This is a Feb 26, 2009 article written by Ben Hogwood, Assistant Editor of the Queens Chronicle. It’s a well-written, interesting piece that entailed lots of interviews and research, but the title is not very fitting for a story of much hope:
Our politicians were asleep at the wheel, and some spitefully ignored it. The exception is Councilmember Tony Avella (Mayoral Candidate), who seems quite interested, and would like to study it further.
Thank you for your reply! Any Queens theaters listed in the 1979 edition? I do feel that some theaters were omitted in the newer book, due to demolition. I hope to hear a response from THSA.
Thomas Lamb’s plans can be viewed and photographed at the Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/avery/ If you visit, I would appreciate it if you can keep me posted.
The latest piece of press is available online in the Glendale Register of the Queens Ledger Series, and will be available as a hard copy this Thursday. It is titled “Ridgewood Theatre Spared From Final Curtain Call?” by Ernest Hernandez. A public hearing will be held by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission in March (testimony can be provided in person or via e-mail if you can’t attend the hearing), and a final vote will be taken in the spring or summer. The link is as follows:
It wouldn’t make much sense circulating an additional press release, so it’s best on behalf of the Facebook and RKO Foundation. I was planning to do it and have the RKO Foundation approve it. I can e-mail it to you. It contains some great information on its history and current preservation status, which I am unsure you have. The ideas should be incorporated. Can I send it to you in draft mode, as well as my updated press and political contacts list consisting of hundreds? Please let me know what you think. Thanks!
This is the direct link which contains commentary on the Queens Crap website:
View link
As stated in my e-mail, I have experience appealing to community boards, local politicians, and the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, as well as writing a press release to further promote the fundraising aspect and preservation ethic. What are your thoughts? Would it be okay to include the Paypal link? I will not proceed without your approval. Your 2 feasibility study proposals has great potential.
This is my appeal dating back to 2006, where I featured my friend and preservation colleague, Thomas Stathes. It contains some history: http://cinematreasures.org/news/14058_0_1_0_C/
Hi John, Thank you very much for your detailed assessment of your correspondence with Jenny Fernandez of the LPC. It sounds forthcoming, so let’s continue to hope that all goes smoothly, and may we all be in the forefront.
This is a Midway Theatre photoset courtesy of Rego-Forest Preservation Council. The photos can be viewed in various resolutions and downloaded for future reference: View link
I will update it with interior views shortly.
Hi Kyle,
As a 1939 World’s Fair enthusiast and Chair of Rego-Forest Preservation Council (serving Rego Park & Forest Hills), this will be a commendable project. I am interested in learning more. I also left you a comment on ReactionGrid’s flickr profile.
I founded the Committee To Save The Trylon Theater in 2005. The upper streamlined Art Deco facade & glass block projection tower remains with a renovated marquee, but some of the most significant attributes are sacrificed in the name of progress (in the unideal sense). The Trylon-adorned mosaic ticket booth was jackhammered, the entrance pavilion’s mosaic floor with chevrons and a central terrazzo element of a 3D interpretation of the Trylon Monument was cemented over. There is now a faux marble wall with wooden doors out to the curb. I am confident that these alterations could be reversed in years to come. The Trylon fountain inside the lobby was either sheet rocked over or jackhammered, and the World of Tomorrow murals that graced the proscenium are rumored to be gone. This was all due to an unresponsive councilmember and the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission that claimed they waited for her advanced opinion on the issue, which isn’t required as per the Landmarks Law.
Do you hope to rebuild the Trylon Theater in 3D based upon existing photos and any historic blueprints that may exist? Please let me know your plans. You can e-mail me at as well as post here so other fans can learn and get involved in any way. Thank you!
Thank you for your update, John!
Hi Everyone! I hope you are having a pleasant Labor Day weekend. Sorry for my noticeable absence on the CT site, but I have been keeping a close eye on the theater’s fate. I called the following individual a few days back, and she said she will either e-mail me or call, and let me know when the theater facade is up for a vote by the commissioners, in order to decide whether it will be designated an Individual Landmark. According to media accounts with the LPC, the date will be in mid-September, but that was published a while back. I will let you know as soon as I receive any response. It would be of great help if you can call and question it as well, and encourage them to take a vote very shortly. Thank you!
Jenny Fernández
Director of Intergovernmental & Community Relations
NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission
1 Centre Street, 9th Floor North
New York, NY 10007
P: (212) 669-7923
F: (212) 669-7780
.gov
Would you be interested in any theaters in NY’s 5 boroughs? I am a historic preservationist, who has brokered deals, resulting in the sparing and adaptive reuse of endangered sites. I might be able to assist you. I look forward to hearing some of your ideas. Please e-mail me at Thank you! – Michael Perlman
IMPORTANT MEMORANDUM
The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission will hold a Public Hearing, which will determine its eligibility as a NYC Individual Landmark. The hearing is set for Tuesday, March 24, 2009 from 11:25 AM – 12:00 PM at the Municipal Building, 1 Centre St, 9th Floor North, NY, NY 10007, and public testimony will be taken: View link
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Please attend and provide testimony at the March 24th Public Hearing. Reference the Ridgewood Theatre’s architectural, cultural, historical significance, request Individual Landmark status, and include any personal sentiment toward the theater, and the need for more Queens landmarks and theater landmarks. Your testimony can be brief. Also, please forward this posting to other contacts, so we can achieve a landmark victory. Power to the people!
If you cannot attend the public hearing, please e-mail your testimony/support letter to the following addresses: Chairman Robert Tierney .gov and Dir. of Research Mary Beth Betts .gov and .gov with a carbon copy to Your letter can be brief.
History: Opening its doors on December 23, 1916 and closing in March 2008, the Ridgewood Theatre was deemed the longest continuously operating first-run neighborhood theater citywide, and potentially throughout the U.S. It staged Vaudeville, silent films, saw the advent of photoplays, the first ‘100% All-Talkingâ€\ feature, Lights of New York (1928), and Technicolor. Its original seating capacity was 2,500, but currently contains 5 screens and seats 1,950. Modeled after Times Squareâ€\s long-demolished Mark Strand Theatre (the Worldâ€\s 1st movie palace), the $250,000 gem was designed by Americaâ€\s foremost theater architect, Thomas Lamb, & built by the Levy Brothers. The 3-story Indiana limestone and terra cotta façade is highly ornate, incorporating unique geometric patterns, medallions, a frieze, pilasters, and proudly boasts Ridgewood Theatre across the top. Interior murals originally depicted the history of Ridgewood.
Economic status/Significance of theaters: Theaters are the ‘ultimate public institutionsâ€\ which bridge the generations, as they foster community growth and pride, harbor countless memories, and often exhibit the work of our countryâ€\s most skillful architects. Commissioned architects hoped to leave a long-lasting impression of grandeur, confidence, serenity, and comfort; a bold step away from the pressures of society. When sacrificed in the name of progress, their loss is most heartfelt. Local theaters with an unfortunate fate include the Oasis, Parthenon, Irving, and RKO Madison Theatre (retail), but the Ridgewood Theatre can be economically viable if preserved and adaptively reused for theater-related purposes. It would contribute to an up and coming neighborhood and a diverse borough, and would boost jobs.
Ridgewood Theatre “Then & Now” Photos: View link
Online Petition: View link
Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre MySpace Group: www.myspace.com/ridgewoodtheatre
Thank you for your support!
Michael Perlman
Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre, Founder & Chair
4 Boro Preservation Alliance Corp, Queens VP
Rego-Forest Preservation Council, Chair
Queens Preservation Council, Bd. of Dir.
Central Queens Historical Association, Bd of Dir
Thank you! To ensure delivery to various LPC parties, please e-mail your testimony/support letter to the following addresses:
Chairman Robert Tierney: .gov
Dir. of Research Mary Beth Betts: .gov
Public hearing address: .gov
Carbon copy Michael Perlman, Chair of Friends of Ridgewood Theatre:
Hi Everyone,
GREAT NEWS!!! The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission will hold a Public Hearing for the Ridgewood Theatre, which will determine its eligibility as a NYC Individual Landmark. The hearing is set for Tues, March 24, 2009 from 11:25 AM – 12:00 PM at the Municipal Building, 1 Centre St, 9th Floor North, NY, NY 10007, and public testimony will be taken: View link
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Please attend and provide testimony at the March 24th Public Hearing. Reference the Ridgewood Theatre’s architectural, cultural, historical significance, request Individual Landmark status, and include any personal sentiment toward the theater, and the need for more Queens landmarks and theater landmarks. Your testimony can be brief. Also, please forward this posting to other contacts, so we can achieve a landmark victory. Power to the people!
If you cannot attend the public hearing, please e-mail your testimony/support letter to the following addresses: Chairman Robert Tierney .gov and Dir. of Research Mary Beth Betts .gov and .gov with a carbon copy to
History: Opening its doors on December 23, 1916 and closing in March 2008, the Ridgewood Theatre was deemed the longest continuously operating first-run neighborhood theater citywide, and potentially throughout the U.S. It staged Vaudeville, silent films, saw the advent of photoplays, the first ‘100% All-Talkingâ€\ feature, Lights of New York (1928), and Technicolor. Its original seating capacity was 2,500, but currently contains 5 screens and seats 1,950. Modeled after Times Squareâ€\s long-demolished Mark Strand Theatre (the Worldâ€\s 1st movie palace), the $250,000 gem was designed by Americaâ€\s foremost theater architect, Thomas Lamb, & built by the Levy Brothers. The 3-story Indiana limestone and terra cotta façade is highly ornate, incorporating unique geometric patterns, medallions, a frieze, pilasters, and proudly boasts Ridgewood Theatre across the top. Interior murals originally depicted the history of Ridgewood.
Economic status/Significance of theaters: Theaters are the ‘ultimate public institutionsâ€\ which bridge the generations, as they foster community growth and pride, harbor countless memories, and often exhibit the work of our countryâ€\s most skillful architects. Commissioned architects hoped to leave a long-lasting impression of grandeur, confidence, serenity, and comfort; a bold step away from the pressures of society. When sacrificed in the name of progress, their loss is most heartfelt. Local theaters with an unfortunate fate include the Oasis, Parthenon, Irving, and RKO Madison Theatre (retail), but the Ridgewood Theatre can be economically viable if preserved and adaptively reused for theater-related purposes. It would contribute to an up and coming neighborhood and a diverse borough, and would boost jobs.
Ridgewood Theatre “Then & Now” Photos: View link
Online Petition: View link
Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre MySpace Group: www.myspace.com/ridgewoodtheatre
Thank you for your support!
, (917) 446-7775
Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre, Founder & Chair
4 Boro Preservation Alliance Corp, Queens VP
Rego-Forest Preservation Council, Chair
Queens Preservation Council, Bd. of Dir.
Central Queens Historical Association, Bd of Dir
Thank you very much for your help! Progress lies ahead.
P.S. Do you have any scans of the Ridgewood Theatre by Thomas Lamb?
To KSwizz: Hi! Thank you for sharing these amazing historic blueprints. Two questions…
In order to help preserve the Loew’s Canal Theatre for future generations, it would be much appreciated if you would permit me to upload your photos to flickr, and place them in a photoset. You would receive credit, if you prefer. Please let me know if that will be possible. Also, do you have any photos available in a higher resolution to read the specifications on the blueprints? Please reply here or e-mail me at and let me know. Thanks! – Michael
Does anyone have any historic or semi-historic photos of this theater as the Ideal Theatre, Squire, Esquire, Cinecitta, Cameo, or Adonis? Any interior photos? Please e-mail me at and please point me in the right direction. I contacted the Avery Library, but no blueprints were on file. I will also contact some other sources, but would appreciate any advice. Thanks!
To Chinowitz: Thank you for your reply! When you visited the Avery Library, did you take any digital photos of the historic blueprints? It would be useful in any preservation efforts.
Thanks, Gary! Please let me know if there any theaters from the borough of Queens, and what those theaters might be. If I decide to purchase it, I would like to know what is featured.
This is a Feb 26, 2009 article written by Ben Hogwood, Assistant Editor of the Queens Chronicle. It’s a well-written, interesting piece that entailed lots of interviews and research, but the title is not very fitting for a story of much hope:
View link)
Our politicians were asleep at the wheel, and some spitefully ignored it. The exception is Councilmember Tony Avella (Mayoral Candidate), who seems quite interested, and would like to study it further.
Thanks, East Coast Rocker! I try my very best, and it’s my pleasure on behalf of theater enthusiasts and the prolific Thomas W. Lamb.
Thank you for your reply! Any Queens theaters listed in the 1979 edition? I do feel that some theaters were omitted in the newer book, due to demolition. I hope to hear a response from THSA.
Great accomplishment! Which NY theaters are featured?
These are the e-mail addresses:
.columbia.edu
.columbia.edu
Archivist Janet Parks:
Thomas Lamb’s plans can be viewed and photographed at the Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/avery/ If you visit, I would appreciate it if you can keep me posted.
The latest piece of press is available online in the Glendale Register of the Queens Ledger Series, and will be available as a hard copy this Thursday. It is titled “Ridgewood Theatre Spared From Final Curtain Call?” by Ernest Hernandez. A public hearing will be held by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission in March (testimony can be provided in person or via e-mail if you can’t attend the hearing), and a final vote will be taken in the spring or summer. The link is as follows:
View link
Add this noble piece to your collection!