Also courtesy of the Austin History Center Facebook page.
The shell of the building is still there, but the facade is gone. The Queen went into disrepair and closed in the 1950s, but not before the ceiling collapsed (with people inside). It is now The Contemporary (formerly Arthouse), and if you go inside, you can still see some of the original ceiling and walls of the old theater.
Added undated early photo and below copy credit & courtesy of the Austin History Center Facebook page.
Queen Theater at 700-702 Congress Avenue. George Littlefield bought the original Queen at 700 Congress and its next door neighbor, the Casino Theater, in 1920 with plans to tear them both down and build an all new expanded theater. He died before the plans came to fruition, but the project continued under J.J. Hegman. The new Queen Theater opened in 1921 with the first electric light sign for a theater in town, first wiring for sound, seating for 900, a lavishly decorated interior, a unique projection room and more.
While running the Queen in the 1920s, the Hegmans battled Texas' Blue Laws, which at the time forbade most commerce on Sundays. Angry that many drugstores and cigar shops operated illegally on Sundays with impunity, the Hegmans began defying the Blue Laws by advertising Sunday pictures. Eventually, all of Austin had to close on Sundays to ensure equal enforcement of the law. We have an online finding aid for the J.J. Hegman Papers: http://bit.ly/14wE31f.
1930 photo added, copy via the Austin History Center Facebook page. Photo credit in link below.
October 11th was the 100th anniversary of the 1st production at the Paramount Theater, then known as the Majestic Theater. A play called “When Knights Were Bold” opened on October 11th, 1915.
To learn more about the Paramount’s history, visit our photo exhibit in our Holt Gallery, on view until November 1st. You can also visit this website: http://paramounthistory.org/ to read more stories.
The city was originally Goose Creek Texas. Via Texas State Historical Association Online:
Actual consolidation of the Tri-Cities began when Pelly annexed unincorporated Baytown under the rules of home-rule charter on December 7, 1945. The population of Goose Creek was 9,928, and by the annexation that of Pelly became 11,030-large enough to annex Goose Creek under state law. After a legal struggle, consolidation became a reality on January 24, 1948. With the adoption of the new charter of the city of Baytown, Goose Creek ceased to exist as a separate town.
Below is via the Traces Of Texas Facebook page.
Weston Davis: “When we remodeled the old Texan Theater for Cork Grinders the original facade was delapidated and literally falling down. The back of the original facade and the upper deck can still be seen in the building. The original rafters are still in place along with the original brick inside wall. The vast majority of the wood used to build the bathrooms, kitchen, and bar were re-used from the demolition of the original parts of the building that were is disrepair.”
Via Tad Dunville regarding the CTA cars.
“Special motors and controls for higher speeds. It was experimental and the cars were later put back to spec and painted green.”
3 images added. One is a 1930 print ad which seems to confirm the original address as being 3306.
1959 marquee photo added, credit & courtesy of the Austin History Center Facebook page.
Also courtesy of the Austin History Center Facebook page.
The shell of the building is still there, but the facade is gone. The Queen went into disrepair and closed in the 1950s, but not before the ceiling collapsed (with people inside). It is now The Contemporary (formerly Arthouse), and if you go inside, you can still see some of the original ceiling and walls of the old theater.
Added undated early photo and below copy credit & courtesy of the Austin History Center Facebook page.
Queen Theater at 700-702 Congress Avenue. George Littlefield bought the original Queen at 700 Congress and its next door neighbor, the Casino Theater, in 1920 with plans to tear them both down and build an all new expanded theater. He died before the plans came to fruition, but the project continued under J.J. Hegman. The new Queen Theater opened in 1921 with the first electric light sign for a theater in town, first wiring for sound, seating for 900, a lavishly decorated interior, a unique projection room and more.
While running the Queen in the 1920s, the Hegmans battled Texas' Blue Laws, which at the time forbade most commerce on Sundays. Angry that many drugstores and cigar shops operated illegally on Sundays with impunity, the Hegmans began defying the Blue Laws by advertising Sunday pictures. Eventually, all of Austin had to close on Sundays to ensure equal enforcement of the law. We have an online finding aid for the J.J. Hegman Papers: http://bit.ly/14wE31f.
2 other photos added courtesy of the Austin History Center Facebook page as well.
July 1973 photo added, photo credit Austin History Center Facebook page, Image # AS-73-84991.
Willie Winn and Dennis D. Baum, who bought and reopened the Harlem Theater in July 1973. Sadly the theater burned down in December of 1973.
1930 photo added, copy via the Austin History Center Facebook page. Photo credit in link below.
October 11th was the 100th anniversary of the 1st production at the Paramount Theater, then known as the Majestic Theater. A play called “When Knights Were Bold” opened on October 11th, 1915. To learn more about the Paramount’s history, visit our photo exhibit in our Holt Gallery, on view until November 1st. You can also visit this website: http://paramounthistory.org/ to read more stories.
1957 photo added, courtesy of the AmeriCar The Beautiful Facebook page. Partial marquee image.
1957 photo added, courtesy of the AmeriCar The Beautiful Facebook page.
1961 print ad added courtesy of Gene Watson.
1910 photo added courtesy of Glen Miller.
Undated photo added courtesy of Anthony Gomez. Looks like the city didn’t care about the placement of their streetlamp.
1938 photo added too, courtesy of Dom Otero.
1947 photo as the Isleta Theatre added, photo credit Don J Akin.
1945 photo added, photo credit Don J Akin.
1945 photo added, photo credit Don J Akin.
Circa 1945 photo added, photo credit Don J Akin. Apparently it later showed burlesque.
Undated photo added courtesy of Hank-William Buelow.
1950 photo added courtesy of Jeff Cavin.
Circa 1950 photo added courtesy of Gianni Corso.
Wider version of the 1940 photo added, courtesy of the Y-Block Guy Facebook page.
The city was originally Goose Creek Texas.
Via Texas State Historical Association Online:
Actual consolidation of the Tri-Cities began when Pelly annexed unincorporated Baytown under the rules of home-rule charter on December 7, 1945. The population of Goose Creek was 9,928, and by the annexation that of Pelly became 11,030-large enough to annex Goose Creek under state law. After a legal struggle, consolidation became a reality on January 24, 1948. With the adoption of the new charter of the city of Baytown, Goose Creek ceased to exist as a separate town.
Below is via the Traces Of Texas Facebook page.
Weston Davis: “When we remodeled the old Texan Theater for Cork Grinders the original facade was delapidated and literally falling down. The back of the original facade and the upper deck can still be seen in the building. The original rafters are still in place along with the original brick inside wall. The vast majority of the wood used to build the bathrooms, kitchen, and bar were re-used from the demolition of the original parts of the building that were is disrepair.”
1955 photo as the Stanley Theatre added, courtesy of the Kodachrome Heaven Facebook page.
Via Tad Dunville regarding the CTA cars. “Special motors and controls for higher speeds. It was experimental and the cars were later put back to spec and painted green.”
Four 2015 photos added, photo credit Ken Circo.
1930’s photo as The Cotton Club added courtesy of Stephen Sclafani.