I was lucky enough to have permission to salvage some artifacts from the building before it was destroyed, and found some very interesting things in the space above the auditorium… A hand-cast plaster model of the proscenium, showing options for plaster detailing; a very early Mack Sennett silent movie poster in good condition; a 1914 newspaper up in the elevator penthouse; and numerous beautiful plaster architectural details. I still have some things in my collection… It was relatively simple in ornamentation, but had a really beautiful proscenium arch with a large French-style cartouche sporting an “R” in the center over the stage… It also had two beautiful maiden heads at the center of the two smaller side arches. I treasure the one that I rescued, but the other was badly water damaged and destroyed. It also still had the original projectors in the projection room, and had a 1940’s era RCA Theater Sound cabinet in there too. I sure wish I would’ve gotten the projectors, even though they were pretty crusty!
I was lucky enough to have permission to salvage some artifacts from the building before it was destroyed, and found some very interesting things in the space above the auditorium… A hand-cast plaster model of the proscenium, showing options for plaster detailing; a very early Mack Sennett silent movie poster in good condition; a 1914 newspaper up in the elevator penthouse; and numerous beautiful plaster architectural details. I still have some things in my collection… It was relatively simple in ornamentation, but had a really beautiful proscenium arch with a large French-style cartouche sporting an “R” in the center over the stage… It also had two beautiful maiden heads at the center of the two smaller side arches. I treasure the one that I rescued, but the other was badly water damaged and destroyed. It also still had the original projectors in the projection room, and had a 1940’s era RCA Theater Sound cabinet in there too. I sure wish I would’ve gotten the projectors, even though they were pretty crusty!