Mail Online: Once thriving, a number of early 20th century theatres are now shadows of their former glory.
The ornate carvings and stunning architecture are still visible in many, but this is overshadowed by the state of disrepair that surrounds them.
US photographer Matt Lambros has made it his mission to document the sad decline of these entertainment venues.
6 comments:
its truely a sad sight to see so many brilliant and beautiful vestibules of art just rotting away. I find myself slightly angered at the sight of such lost space left to die. The possibilities of renovating the theatrical space or using such beautiful interior architecture for even a sleep no more stylized performance venue. Now I have a very strong desire to find these places and find a way to bring them back to life. The film August Rush comes to mind when looking at some of these photographs, where I believe it was Robin Williams takes in the orphans (granted to turn them for profits from their music).
My first instinct after seeing these pictures was to be angry at whoever let them waste away. However, for each of these rotting early 20th century theaters, there is probably one that is perfectly preserved and constantly used. It would be impractical and useless to save them all, so we might as well see the beauty in their great, decaying spaces. It's really powerful to see these spaces, which were once the height of life and emotion, completely barren and destroyed. In a way, it feels like by allowing these old theaters to waste away on their own time, we are preserving them in a more effective way than forcing them to show modern plays to modern audiences.
I think these art absolutely beautiful pictures. Yes, I agree that it is sad to see them fall away and see them in that state, but it's amazing to see how beautiful they are even after that type of decay. I have always loved the abandoned architecture pictures. There are a series of pictures that document a wide variety of theme parks, cities, and building from around the world. There is something almost beautiful in the broken nature of these photos.
That being said, the restoration of these theaters is also spectacular. I think restoration artists deserve so much credit for their work on this.
These images are very moving. I would have really liked to see other photos that weren't taken from the audience's point of view, but from backstage or within the building instead.
I think it is interesting to see how much we, as a culture, romanticize the past. There is this idealistic nostalgia for old things that we grew up with, or maybe never even knew. I see that in this article and people's reactions to it, as well as in the article about the current state of film projection. There is a tendency to look back towards "the good old days" and resent the future and the ever-increasing inclusion of technology in our daily lives.
I have to agree with alot of what is being said. Yes, it is sad that these once thriving caverns are now rotting, but I think that these pictures themselves are now a piece of art. By taking these pictures the artist is making a statement about the ways we as a society have gone through cultural evolution. I think the main change of that evolution is the implementation of technology into our arts today. In any case, the pictures show what used to be important to us as a culture. I agree with Camille. I think we are fascinated by our former selves and the nostalgia that that brings.
It is sad that the theaters are not cared for, but I understand that sometimes the financial ability is not always there. Instead of building new theaters, theatre groups should take and renovate the old ones. I know that the Benedum Center was restored by the Cultural Trust, so maybe there is a chance for the others if the right sponsors come along.
In a weird way, the decaying theaters actually look kind of majestic. I think that even in their decay, they are beautiful. The way that the plaster falls of in chunks and exposes the framing underneath has a ethereal appeal to it, almost like we are seeing the inside of something that is holy. It kind of seems like it is giving away secrets, like we are seeing something that we are never supposed to see. I love that haunted feeling.
If I ever get a lot of money, enough to buy and renovate an old theater, then I will do that. I will buy it to be my house. Yeah, it's a bit on the big side, but there is always the chance of living in one of the upper rooms and just having the theater be an operation theater.
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