Academy of Music

The Academy of Music was built in 1874 and opened on January 5, 1875. It was designed in a Romanesque Revival style by architect J. Crawford Neilson. The Main auditorium was named the Grand Opera House, which had a 36ft deep stage. The 1,814-seat capacity accommodated 750-seats in the orchestra level, 464-seats in the balcony and 600-seats in the gallery. There were six stage boxes on each side of the proscenium. It had a beautiful fire curtain which had a scene on pleasure boats on Lake Come, painted by Philadelphia artist Russell Smith.

It was not only one of Baltimore’s most impressive theatres, but it also became one of the city’s premier theatres. By the early-1900’s Biograph shows were being screen here. In 1896 the Academy of Music was taken over by Nixon & Zimmerman who gutted the interior which was redone to the plans of architect John D, Allen in a French Renaissance style. A new fir curtain featured a picture of Baltimore Harbor which was painted in New York by artist Milton C. Slemmer It reopened on September 28, 1896. It was refurbished again in 1911 and the original act drop fire curtain was recreated by Milton C. Slemmer.

In 1921 it was taken over by Sam S Shubert & Lee Shubert. Over the years the Academy of Music had attracted artistes such as British actor Sir Henry Irving, Lily Langtree, Edwin Booth Otis Skinner, French actress Sarah Bedrnhardt.

In March 1926 the Shubert brothers sold the Academy of Music to the Stanley-Crandall Company, although the Nixon-Nirdlinger Theaters chain were still involved and presented movies at the theatre. In April 1926 demolition began, to build the new 4,000-seat Stanley Theatre on the site of the Academy of Music. The side walls of the Academy of Music were retained in the construction of the Stanley Theatre (which has its own page on Cinema Treasures).

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