1913 - The Picture House - Keighley, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 52.182 W 001° 54.572
30U E 571700 N 5969576
This date stone on the old cinema is on a pediment at the top of the building and made from painted terracotta tiles.
Waymark Code: WMV6CN
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/03/2017
Views: 0
"The Picture House, situated in North Street, Keighley, is a purpose built cinema which first opened in 1913. It was run by a board of directors which included Sir Harry Smith of Dean Smith & Grace, the machine tools manufacturers. Inside there was a large foyer, a cafe, stalls, balcony and seating for around 800 people. Over the years it has seen many changes, some of which took place only a year after it first opened. Unlike many cinemas, despite the ups and downs of the industry it has remained in continuous use as a cinema without suffering the indignities of bingo.
In addition to films the Picture House has also on occasion provided live entertainment on stage. During the 1930s The Arcadian Follies from Morecambe were a regular feature. Later, in the late fifties and early sixties there were one night shows featuring pop idols such as Billy Fury, Marty Wilde and Wee Willy Harris.
In January 1991 the cinema was closed but following extensive repairs to the roof it was re-opened by Charles Morris in 1997. Since then there has been a continuous programme of improvements which have included the installation of pullman seats throughout, Dolby Surround sound and air conditioning in screen 2. The cinema has two screens with 308 seats in Screen 1 and 93 seats in Screen 2."
linkVisit Instructions:
When logging a visit to a waymark in this category, please provide one or more photos taken by yourself, and note down your impressions and any background information you may have.