Electric cinema , Coventry Road

[mikejee]

A Facebook group concerning unidentified photographs showed this photo



One correspondent then produced the following (which I do not think I have seen before) which shows what looks like a good match, obviously in Birmingham, though position not identified



This fits with the cinema at 400 Coventry road shown in the 1912 Kellys



It is not marked as a cinema on any map I have, and by 1915 it was still there, but on the other side of the co-op in what had previously been a space, on the corner with Grange Road was owned by the Birmingham & District Picture Palace Co, and by 1921 was the Grange Picture House. by 1921 the Electric theatre had disappeared.

 

[Morturn]

Love those carbon arc lamps

 

[mikejee]

Love those carbon arc lamps

But didn't they need constant adjustment to maintain the arc?

 

[A Sparks]

Very interesting - how very strange there seems nothing more about the picturehouse than the information in your original post!

 

[mikejee]

There is a little more in Victor Price's "Birmingham cinemas".It was opened in 1910, proprietors, Electric Theatres (1908) Ltd, manager G.D.Bradbury, with seating of 460.. In 23rd Dec 1916 it was renamed Casino Cinema and reopened with proprietor Harry H.Reynolds and with manager Phillip Jacobs. Prices of admission then were 2½ d, 4d and 7d - quite an increase on those in photo. It closed in 1921.
So from this the photos must have been between 1910 and 1916

 

[Astoness]

great detective work mike...deffo the same theatre so sad that these little gems have now gone and just at the queue....

lyn

 

[Tinpot]

great detective work mike...deffo the same theatre so sad that these little gems have now gone and just at the queue....

lyn

Interesting to see the development of the site of the Grange cinema. After the war the entrance was on the corner of Grange Road. We lived a few doors away on Grange Rd and there was a bomb site in the yard which must have been adjacent to the cinema. My mother also talked about a cinema called the Model cinema and another somewhere near Muntz street called the Victoria.

 

[paulinehorton]

Interesting to see the development of the site of the Grange cinema. After the war the entrance was on the corner of Grange Road. We lived a few doors away on Grange Rd and there was a bomb site in the yard which must have been adjacent to the cinema. My mother also talked about a cinema called the Model cinema and another somewhere near Muntz street called the Victoria.

This was the Victoria Picture House situated on Coventry Road Small Heath. This was located directly opposite Golden Hillock Road.