Guide to London's Odeon & Gaumont screen entertainment : 1951 Festival of Britain : publicity map folder : 1951 : cover
A rather fine 1951 map folder, in the style of the Tube map and intended for a wallet or pocket, giving details of the London "Odeon" and "Gaumont" cinemas in the London area along with their various release programmes. It shows the sheer scale of the number of London cinemas - or picture theatres as the owners would have preferred us to call them - at the time as these were just two of the large chains alongside still independently owned cinemas. The early 1950s were amongst the boom years for British cinemas and before the widespread availability of television cut the bottom out of the market.
As well as the list of cinemas,a standard London Transport 'central area' tube diagram, there is a map of the central area of London and the West End showing the locations of cinemas, tube stations and other major landmarks. I like the fact that main line railway termini are shown by almost Monopoly style symbols. The whole folder is also badged up for the 1951 Festival of Britain, showing the South Bank Exhibition site, and as well as locals this issue may well ahve been aimed at visitors to the capital to halp them 'make a day of it' by seeing the latest movie or film release.
Guide to London's Odeon & Gaumont screen entertainment : 1951 Festival of Britain : publicity map folder : 1951 : cover
A rather fine 1951 map folder, in the style of the Tube map and intended for a wallet or pocket, giving details of the London "Odeon" and "Gaumont" cinemas in the London area along with their various release programmes. It shows the sheer scale of the number of London cinemas - or picture theatres as the owners would have preferred us to call them - at the time as these were just two of the large chains alongside still independently owned cinemas. The early 1950s were amongst the boom years for British cinemas and before the widespread availability of television cut the bottom out of the market.
As well as the list of cinemas,a standard London Transport 'central area' tube diagram, there is a map of the central area of London and the West End showing the locations of cinemas, tube stations and other major landmarks. I like the fact that main line railway termini are shown by almost Monopoly style symbols. The whole folder is also badged up for the 1951 Festival of Britain, showing the South Bank Exhibition site, and as well as locals this issue may well ahve been aimed at visitors to the capital to halp them 'make a day of it' by seeing the latest movie or film release.