Opening of Plaza Theater - 1930

Opening of Plaza Theater - 1930

A huge crowd accompanied the opening of the Plaza Theater on September 12, 1930. Designed as a modern film house with the flexibility of presenting stage shows, the Plaza eventually hosted popular traveling shows and movies. Its size (capacity of 2,410), elaborate decor, and technical innovations made it stand out: While the exterior facade was designed to be reminiscent of a Spanish mission-style parapet, patrons were awed by the interior, with its intricately painted ceilings, mosaic-tiled floors, decorative metal railings and sconces and antique furnishings (Spanish Colonial Revival style). Additionally, the Plaza offered electrically cooled drinking fountains, a nursery, a $850 marble and brass telecheck system that alert ushers when a seat became vacant, and a Brenograph machine that could throw over a thousand color effects onto the black-and-white scenes. However, in the 1950s, the Theater's patronage declined and by the 1970s it was sold. In the 1980s, the El Paso Community Foundation saved the Plaza from demolition and donated it to the City of El Paso in 1990. After, it was restored to its original splendor and today hosts concerts, shows, musicals and plays once again.

Área: Central / Downtown

Fuente: C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections, University of Texas at El Paso Library. Collection Name: Plaza Theater. Photo ID: Plaza_Theater.jpg.

Cargado por: UTEP Library Special Collections

Comentarios

Hacer un comentario
Gracias por su comentario

Reportar esta entrada

Elige la razón más importante para este reporte

Tu nombre

Tu correo electrónico

Detalle opcional

Gracias por su reporte

Más sobre la misma comunidad-colección

DIGIE

Pride G.C. company construction workers from left to right ...

DIGIE

Gibson Group Technical Director David Crossan observing the ...

DIGIE

Staff member of the El Paso Museum of History Lisa Heinemann ...

DIGIE

From left to right, Gibson Group Director of Exhibitions Allan ...

DIGIE

From left to right Senior Curator Barbara Angus, Staff member of ...

DIGIE

From left to right Staff member of the El Paso Museum of History ...

DIGIE

From left to right Development Director of the El Paso Museum of ...

DIGIE

Gibson Group Director of Exhibitions - Allan Smith observing the ...

DIGIE

From left to right Senior Curator Barbara Angus and Staff member ...

El Museo de Arte en El Paso

El Paso Museum of Art

USBC Bowling Tournament

El Paso Strikes Again! 2015 El Paso Bowling Tournament.

FAM Tour 2014

Visit El Paso FAM Tour 2014

Fan Fiesta 2013

Fan Fiesta at the El Paso Convention Center

Folklorico Dancers 2013

Folklorico Dancers 2013

Folklorico Dancers 2010

Folklorico Dancers 2010

Plaza Theater 2013

Foreigner at The Plaza Theater 2013

Fungi Mungle 2014

Fan Fiesta 2014. El Paso Convention Center.

Gallery 2014

Galley 2014

Youth Dance Performance 2014

Youth Dance Performance 2014 - Downtown El Paso, Texas.

El Museo de Historia

El Paso History Museum 2013

El Paso History Museum

El Paso History Museum Exhibit 2013

Digie

Image of the building of the Digital Wall 2015.

Plaza Hotel

The old Plaza Hotel at Mills and Oregon.

home.search_collection