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Patterson Park is located in Baltimore MD. It began as six acres of land donated in 1827 and now comprises 137. The Park’s high ground was the site of a major battle in the War of 1812. An observatory in the form of a pagoda was built in 1891 and remains a major attraction. The … Continue reading »

The Chicago Theater is located on north State St. in Chicago. It was built in 1921 at a cost of four million dollars (fifty-six million today). It has 3,880 seats and was the first movie palace, a prototype for all the ones to follow. It was also one of the first  to use air conditioning. … Continue reading »

The Rialto Square Theater opened in 1926 at a cost of two million dollars (twenty-six million today). It is located in Joliet IL, near Chicago, and very near in appearance to the Chicago Theater. Vaudeville was originally the main attraction, followed by movies until the 1970s. Saved from demolition in 1980, it was renovated and … Continue reading »

Grauman’s is located on the famous Walk of Fame in Hollywood. It opened in 1927. In 2013 it partnered with IMAX and underwent extensive renovation. It now has 932 seats and one of the largest movie screens in North America. The first photo is undated.

Located in Jersey City, NJ, Lowes Jersey Theater opened in 1929 (ninety years ago this month) at a cost of two million dollars (twenty-five million today). It has 3,021 seats and not only hosted movie goers but presented live performances as well. It closed in 1986 and was threatened with demolition. After 10 years the … Continue reading »

The Palace Albany Theater is located in Albany, NY . It opened in 1931 with 2,844 seats and closed in 1969. It was purchased by the City of Albany and underwent a three-million-dollar renovation in 2002. The theater now hosts about 150 events per year, much like the Lowes Jersey Theater. The first photo is … Continue reading »

Often overlooked is the amount of supplies (chemicals, pans, tables, paper, etc) Jackson had to pack into remote, road-less terrain in order to develop his pictures. Add to that the 18 x 22 inch mammoth camera he used. There was no aperture, so he had to guess the exposure, which ranged from five seconds to … Continue reading »

William Henry Jackson was one of America’s premier photographers and painters in the 19th century. He was born in 1843 in Keeseville NY. In 1869 he was assigned by the Union Pacific RR to photograph scenery in the West to help the railroad with its expansion program. In 1870 he joined the famed Hayden Expedition … Continue reading »

Key West is both an island and a city in the Florida Keys at the southern tip of the longest north/south road in the U.S. The city’s main street is Duval St., 1.1 miles long. Located on it is the famous  Sloppy Joe’s Bar. Sloppy Joe’s opened the day after Prohibition was repealed, December 5, … Continue reading »

Mary’s Rock Tunnel is located on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, VA. Six hundred feet of solid granite had to be drilled, blasted, and cleared. The work was completed in 1932. The first photo is dated 1932.