Empire Picture Theatre

The building was built for the Bootle Labour Party, who, as the sign says were established in 1882, and the building was called the Bootle Institute. Whether that means that this building was actually built in 1882 isn’t clear, but it is shown on the 1890 OS map. From about 1912 it was used as a cinema called the Empire Picture Palace, until 1922 when the purpose-built Gainsborough opened over the road. The Empire then became a dance hall and was the Knowsley Labour Club until comparitively recently. It is currently (by 2007) called Madigan’s Lighthouse.