I just found several references to Pridmore in a search.One was on the Empress theatre in the Englewood neighborhood & is now torn down .Another is in Evanston ,the Varsity theatre which is now used for retail.The one that looks very similar inside to the Adelphi in Rogers Park tho, is the State in Minnesota .The front of the stage area is very similar with its balconies and arch to the Adelphi .It would be really grand to see the Adelphi in Rogers Park restored like the State .That job on the State cost over 5 Milllion bucks. It can be seen in all it’s restored glory at .http://www.hennepintheatredistrict.com/TheatreHistory/StateStageBig.jpg Mike
Bryan ,I don’t know about that Adelphi in Edgewater yet untill you mentioned it .I was saying for a few weeks that he (Pridmore)designed a theatre called the Nortown on Howard St. in Rogers Park as well ,then realized that theatre was on Western Ave from this wesite .I was sure that the Rogers Park historical society website said it was on Howard.So I guesss we need to crosscheck info.Mike
Bryan, while researching the origins of the Adelphi located on 70 70 N. North Clark around two years ago at the Rogers Park Historical society , I copied news clippings of its grand opening and interior designs of the Adelphi .It clearly shows the architect was J.E.O Pridmore and that is the same theatre not the Columbia , as well as the company ,Wolf ,that supplied all the theatre fittings .It also shows it was part of the Ascher Bros.theatre chain .Another news clipping from 1917 states some of these facts about Roxy.I read here about the other Adelphi that you are refering to .Somehow this work of Pridmore slipped under the radar . It should be saved . Mike
The Adelphi was designed by J.E.O Pridmore who has about three theatres surviving at last count, out of about one dozen.Most of his work was for Vaudeville and turned over into the silent films.At one time ,probably the 1920’s -1930’s, the Adelphi was owned by Samuel L"Roxy" Rothenfel.Rothenfel was the founder of the Radio City Music Hall dancers called the Rockettes.Roxy found them in St.Louis in 1934, when they were calling themselves the Missouri Rockets.They were brought to NYC and renamed the Roxyettes .For a while, then changed to the Rockettes.Maybe on one of his scouting missions Roxy found the Adelphi and bought it.He owned several clubs in NY.
I just found several references to Pridmore in a search.One was on the Empress theatre in the Englewood neighborhood & is now torn down .Another is in Evanston ,the Varsity theatre which is now used for retail.The one that looks very similar inside to the Adelphi in Rogers Park tho, is the State in Minnesota .The front of the stage area is very similar with its balconies and arch to the Adelphi .It would be really grand to see the Adelphi in Rogers Park restored like the State .That job on the State cost over 5 Milllion bucks. It can be seen in all it’s restored glory at .http://www.hennepintheatredistrict.com/TheatreHistory/StateStageBig.jpg Mike
Bryan ,I don’t know about that Adelphi in Edgewater yet untill you mentioned it .I was saying for a few weeks that he (Pridmore)designed a theatre called the Nortown on Howard St. in Rogers Park as well ,then realized that theatre was on Western Ave from this wesite .I was sure that the Rogers Park historical society website said it was on Howard.So I guesss we need to crosscheck info.Mike
Bryan, while researching the origins of the Adelphi located on 70 70 N. North Clark around two years ago at the Rogers Park Historical society , I copied news clippings of its grand opening and interior designs of the Adelphi .It clearly shows the architect was J.E.O Pridmore and that is the same theatre not the Columbia , as well as the company ,Wolf ,that supplied all the theatre fittings .It also shows it was part of the Ascher Bros.theatre chain .Another news clipping from 1917 states some of these facts about Roxy.I read here about the other Adelphi that you are refering to .Somehow this work of Pridmore slipped under the radar . It should be saved . Mike
The Adelphi was designed by J.E.O Pridmore who has about three theatres surviving at last count, out of about one dozen.Most of his work was for Vaudeville and turned over into the silent films.At one time ,probably the 1920’s -1930’s, the Adelphi was owned by Samuel L"Roxy" Rothenfel.Rothenfel was the founder of the Radio City Music Hall dancers called the Rockettes.Roxy found them in St.Louis in 1934, when they were calling themselves the Missouri Rockets.They were brought to NYC and renamed the Roxyettes .For a while, then changed to the Rockettes.Maybe on one of his scouting missions Roxy found the Adelphi and bought it.He owned several clubs in NY.