Greetings from “The City of Goodwill”

Postally Unused (circa 1955)

On back of postcard:
“Spectacular view of Third Street looking south in the central business district.”

Double feature at the Garden (formerly the Winter Garden) Theatre:

Johnny Dark (1954)

The Man Without a Star (1955)

Winter Garden Theatre

Seattle Historical Sites

Postally Unused (circa 1962)

Printed on back of postcard:
“Interior of Seattle’s beautiful Opera House with a seating capacity of 3077. Its near perfect acoustic and completely unobstructed seating make this concert hall one of the finest kn the world. Color photo by Max R. Jensen.”

Written on back:
“This opera house [?] built in time to open for last year’s World Fair. It is one of the fine permanent iconic center buildings and used by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, local opera groups and outstanding attractions.” 
Unable to make out signature. Card addressed but apparently never sent.

Seattle Opera House

Tripadvisor

On a Budget

Postcards part of the Theatre Talks Collection, please ask permission to copy and/or use. At least give credit to source. We know that some people will not honor this but it would be nice if they did.

Since 1997 theatre historian,  Cezar Del Valle, has conducted a popular series of  theatre talks and walks, available for  historical societies, libraries, senior centers, etc.

Private walks also available.

Del Valle is the author of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, a three-volume history of borough theatres.

The first two chosen 2010 OUTSTANDING BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Theatre Historical Society. Final volume published in September 2014.

Currently seeking funding for “Editing & Formatting” the first three volumes of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, 3rd Edition

AboutMe

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Medotcom

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Mabel Tainter Memorial, Menomonie, Wisconsin

Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts
205 Main Street East
Menomonie, Wisconsin

“If this tiny theatre is anything to go by, bigger certainly doesn’t mean better.”–CNN Travel

Postally Unused

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From back of postcard:
“It was Harvey Ellis, a little known architectural genius of the late 1880’s, who deftly turned a small spot of backwoods Wisconsin into a gem of Moorish splendor.

“Overlooking the warm grandeur of the intimate Mabel Tainter Memorial Theatre is a bust of donor Captain Andrew Tainter. The Tainters bequeathed the multipurpose building, which houses the theater, to the city of Menomonie in the memory of their daughter Mabel, who tragically died at the age of 20. Faithful restoration of the auditorium to its original elegance was completed in 1970 through the guidance of the Mabel Tainter Preservation Association.” 

Mabel Tainter

Website

Dunn County Historical Society

Wisconsin Historical Society

Postcard part of the Theatre Talks Collection, please ask permission to copy and/or use. At least give credit to source. We know that some people will not honor this but it would be nice if they did.

Since 1997 theatre historian,  Cezar Del Valle, has conducted a popular series of  theatre talks and walks, available for  historical societies, libraries, senior centers, etc.

Private walks also available.

Del Valle is the author of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, a three-volume history of borough theatres.

The first two chosen 2010 OUTSTANDING BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Theatre Historical Society. Final volume published in September 2014.

Currently seeking funding for “Editing & Formatting” the first three volumes of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, 3rd Edition

AboutMe

Goodreads

Medotcom

Welcome to Radio City

Two postally unused postcards.

From back of postcard:
“Seating 6,000, this is the largest auditorium in the world. Moving pictures and lavish stage shows are presented daily.”

 

From back of postcard:
“Showing the largest stage in the world with one of the weekly spectacular footlight productions. The stage is framed by the great proscenium arch, built to resemble a sunburst.”

 

Radio City Music Hall-Official Site

History of Radio City Music Hall

 

Postcards part of the Theatre Talks Collection, please ask permission to copy and/or use. At least give credit to source. We know that some people will not honor this but it would be nice if they did.

 

Since 1997 theatre historian,  Cezar Del Valle, has conducted a popular series of  theatre talks and walks, available for  historical societies, libraries, senior centers, etc.

Private walks also available.

Del Valle is the author of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, a three-volume history of borough theatres.

The first two chosen 2010 OUTSTANDING BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Theatre Historical Society. Final volume published in September 2014.

Currently seeking funding for “Editing & Formatting” the first three volumes of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, 3rd Edition

AboutMe

Goodreads

Medotcom

 

 

High Jinks at the Empire

Empire Theatre, Leicester Square
circa 1908

Excerpts from “Some London Notes”
The Lone Hand Magazine
April 1, 1908

“For ten years Mademoiselle Adeline Genee has been the premiere danseuse in the ballet at the Empire Theare, Leicester Square. That theatre is one of two (the Alhambra is the other) where the ballet is the staple entertainment.”

Adeline Genee

“…we had her [Genee] evoking all the dashing jollity of the hunting-field in her famous hunting dance from ‘High Jinks'”

 

Crowdfunding Research

The Cinema Theatre Association (CTA) have asked me to speak at their monthly meeting in London. March 28th, 2020. This is my first overseas talk. It will add to my reputation as a theatre historian.
I have started a GoFundMe campaign to extend my stay, conducting research and visiting historic theatres.
Research will be used for future talks, essays, articles, etc. The theatres visited recorded and shared on social media.
Funds collected will go directly to travel within the UK, accommodations, food and everyday expenses.

gofundme

Roxy on Granby Street

The Film Daily, “Theater Openings”, April 9, 1938:
“Norfolk–Roxy, 432 seats (4-4-38), Granby St.; Builder: W. T. Gregory & Co.; Architect: Ben Speigel; House Manger: S. J. Gates.”

Postmarked: Aug 14 1940
Written on back:
“Having a good time was married Monday still traveling Best Fred”

On the marquee: Paul Muni in The Woman I Love

 

 

Postally unused

Printed on back:
“View of the downtown business section, Norfolk, Va., looking northward along Granby Street from City Hall Avenue.”

“Kodachrome by Clark A. Brandenburg”

On the marquee: Henry Fonda in Blockade

 

Postcards part of the Theatre Talks Collection, please ask permission to copy and/or use. At least give credit to source. We know that some people will not honor this but it would be nice if they did.

Since 1997 theatre historian,  Cezar Del Valle, has conducted a popular series of  theatre talks and walks, available for  historical societies, libraries, senior centers, etc.

Del Valle is the author of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, a three-volume history of borough theatres.

The first two chosen 2010 OUTSTANDING BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Theatre Historical Society. Final volume published in September 2014.

Currently seeking funding for “Editing & Formatting” the first three volumes of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, 3rd Edition

AboutMe

Goodreads

Medotcom

 

 

 

2015 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 910 times in 2015. If it were a cable car, it would take about 15 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Celebrate the Chinese New Year with a Visit to Jackson Street

Postmarked “Jul 15, 1907”

Postcard part of the Theatre Talks Collection, please ask permission to copy and/or use.
At least give credit to source. We know that some people will not honor this but it would be nice if they did.

Cezar Del Valle is the author of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, a three-volume history of borough theatres. The first two chosen 2010 OUTSTANDING BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Theatre Historical Society. Final volume published in September 2014.

He is available for theatre talks and walks in 2015: historical societies, libraries, senior centers, etc.

Now selling “vintage” on Etsy.