A new book by photojournalist Amy Davis revisits Baltimore’s grand movie theaters.
Watching a movie on the big screen of a local theater is one of life’s enduring pleasures, says photojournalist Amy Davis.
Her new book, “Flickering Treasures: Rediscovering Baltimore’s Forgotten Movie Theaters” (Johns Hopkins University Press), lovingly portrays 72 movie houses, many of which are no longer standing.
“Movie theaters were a strong anchor. They had beautiful neon, and they were the jewels of the neighborhood. People felt ownership of theaters,” says Davis, a Baltimore Sun staff photographer who spent almost a decade searching out theaters that were once an integral part of the landscape and social fabric of Baltimore.
In the 1950s, Baltimore area moviegoers could choose from 119 theaters. Today, only five such theaters remain in the city, a loss Davis chalks up to competition from video and what she terms “demolition by neglect” — the failure to appreciate and restore Baltimore’s architectural masterpieces.
Camera in hand, Davis combed Baltimore to photograph what remained of these cinematic treasures. Her book pairs photos with stories and interviews with local moviegoers, theater owners, ushers and cashiers whose remembrances conjure a forgotten world.
Baltimore favorite sons Barry Levinson and John Waters also provide commentary. There’s a map and timeline for each of the theaters profiled, along with a brief description of the distinct character of each.
Davis lives near the iconic Senator Theatre, one of the first theaters she photographed and the theater that inspired her to write her book. She says she’s delighted to see the restoration of the Parkway Theatre on North Avenue that reopened in April.
“The Parkway was Baltimore’s sleeping beauty,” says Davis. “It was dormant for almost 40 years.”
Other theaters, such as The Town, received a new lease on life when Everyman Theatre renovated and moved into the space in 2012.
Davis laments the loss of opulent theaters such as The Mayfair on Howard Street in West Baltimore. “At least we still have its façade,” she says.
Now that her book is finished, Davis says she’s looking forward to getting back to her passion — going to the movies with a bag of popcorn in hand. “And I can read more novels,” she adds.
For information, visit flickeringtreasures.com.
Top photo: Parkway — 5 West North Ave., 2012 — The auditorium retains much of its Baroque glory, despite more than three decades of abandonment.
All photos from “Flickering Treasures: Rediscovering Baltimore’s Forgotten Movie Theaters,” by Amy Davis. Used with permission.
[box type=”shadow”]Read the complete Fall Arts Preview:
- Cultural Happenings of the Season Around Town
- Reclaiming Babylon: The Jewish Museum of Maryland will shed light on the little-known history of Iraq’s once flourishing Jewish community.
- Getting ‘Intimate’: Everyman Theatre play explores the complexities of a forbidden romance.
- A Plucky Fella: Bela Fleck has revolutionized the banjo as we know it.
- Screen Saver: A new book by photojournalist Amy Davis revisits Baltimore’s grand movie theaters.
- For more events listings, check out our online calendar at jmoreliving.com/events.
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