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The Electric, the oldest working cinema in the UK, located on Station Street in the city centre of Birmingham, West Midlands.
It opened in 1909 predating its namesake, the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill, London, by around two months. Originally called the Electric Theatre, the cinema has undergone several name changes since its opening but returned as The Electric in October 1993. The cinema closed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with the owner making most of its staff redundant. In January 2022 it the cinema reopened under new ownership.
The architectural plans were designed by leading theatre architect of the time, Bertie Crewe which are now a part of the Library of Birmingham's archives and collections.
Excerpts from newspapers at the time:
"There has been a further addition to the number of places of amusement in Birmingham. Electric Theatre has taken a commodious shop in Station-Street, right in the centre of the city, and the interior has been transformed into a cosy and attractive entertainment hall with a capacity of 376, in red plush tip-up seats. The machines here are also of the latest Edison type, and brilliantly steady pictures are shown at a throw of about 55 ft. The operating room is similarly equipped and is one of the finest in the city."
"The pictures displayed, some of which are in colours, are of an historical, dramatic, educational, as well as of a humorous character, and the entertainment is proving a decided attraction with young and old alike. Pictures showing this week are To Save Her Soul, Piedmont, The Shell, A Box of Chocolates, The Cabbage, Making Plate Glass, A Workman’s Revenge, and That Skating Carnival, with a complete change on Thursday. Mr. George Putnam, is the energetic manager, and Mr. A. Hart chief man at the wheel."
"It is estimated that upwards of two thousand persons paid for admission on the opening day, and from two o’clock until eleven there is a constant stream of fresh arrivals. Mr Putnam is arranging for a constant change of programme, and all the latest and most interesting pictures will be displayed from time to time."
Information Source:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Electric,_Birmingham
44456
The Electric, the oldest working cinema in the UK, located on Station Street in the city centre of Birmingham, West Midlands.
It opened in 1909 predating its namesake, the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill, London, by around two months. Originally called the Electric Theatre, the cinema has undergone several name changes since its opening but returned as The Electric in October 1993. The cinema closed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with the owner making most of its staff redundant. In January 2022 it the cinema reopened under new ownership.
The architectural plans were designed by leading theatre architect of the time, Bertie Crewe which are now a part of the Library of Birmingham's archives and collections.
Excerpts from newspapers at the time:
"There has been a further addition to the number of places of amusement in Birmingham. Electric Theatre has taken a commodious shop in Station-Street, right in the centre of the city, and the interior has been transformed into a cosy and attractive entertainment hall with a capacity of 376, in red plush tip-up seats. The machines here are also of the latest Edison type, and brilliantly steady pictures are shown at a throw of about 55 ft. The operating room is similarly equipped and is one of the finest in the city."
"The pictures displayed, some of which are in colours, are of an historical, dramatic, educational, as well as of a humorous character, and the entertainment is proving a decided attraction with young and old alike. Pictures showing this week are To Save Her Soul, Piedmont, The Shell, A Box of Chocolates, The Cabbage, Making Plate Glass, A Workman’s Revenge, and That Skating Carnival, with a complete change on Thursday. Mr. George Putnam, is the energetic manager, and Mr. A. Hart chief man at the wheel."
"It is estimated that upwards of two thousand persons paid for admission on the opening day, and from two o’clock until eleven there is a constant stream of fresh arrivals. Mr Putnam is arranging for a constant change of programme, and all the latest and most interesting pictures will be displayed from time to time."
Information Source:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Electric,_Birmingham