This is the Eltham Cinema and was on the corner of the High Street and Westmount Road.
It was opened in 1913 and demolished in 1968 which means I must have seen it countless times on my way to school at Crown Woods but even now it does not register with me.
I can’t be sure but I am guessing it survived as a Picture House until the big plush cinemas further down the High Street, and in Well Hall offered a bigger and comfortable experience.
And until now that was about all I knew, but yesterday I came across The Kinematograph Year Book, Program, Diary and Directory 1914, which is packed with everything from a list of all the cinemas in 1914 with information about this new and exciting form of entertainment along with lots of adverts.
And from the book I now know that its proprietor was a Mr Robert Frederick Bean who was listed in 1913 at 4 Everest Road. A few years earlier he was in Brockley describing himself as a manufacturer’s agent for lace. He was 31, had been married for three years and had two children and employed a nurse and a housemaid.
I wish I knew more about them but that is about it although they do seem to have moved around a bit living in Lewisham as well as Brockley and Eltham.
In time we will learn more and perhaps also a bit more about the cinema which sadly had no listing for the number of people it could seat.
And Tricia had found out more, "it had 1 screen and seated 400 people. It was built in 1912 opened 1913 and closed 1937.
Pictures; Eltham Cinema, courtesy of Thisiseltham, and advert from The Kinematograph Year Book, 1914, page 43
*Thisiselatham, http://www.thisiseltham.co.uk/
 |
| Eltham Cinema, circa 1913 |
I can’t be sure but I am guessing it survived as a Picture House until the big plush cinemas further down the High Street, and in Well Hall offered a bigger and comfortable experience.
And until now that was about all I knew, but yesterday I came across The Kinematograph Year Book, Program, Diary and Directory 1914, which is packed with everything from a list of all the cinemas in 1914 with information about this new and exciting form of entertainment along with lots of adverts.
 |
| Advert |
And from the book I now know that its proprietor was a Mr Robert Frederick Bean who was listed in 1913 at 4 Everest Road. A few years earlier he was in Brockley describing himself as a manufacturer’s agent for lace. He was 31, had been married for three years and had two children and employed a nurse and a housemaid.
I wish I knew more about them but that is about it although they do seem to have moved around a bit living in Lewisham as well as Brockley and Eltham.
In time we will learn more and perhaps also a bit more about the cinema which sadly had no listing for the number of people it could seat.
And Tricia had found out more, "it had 1 screen and seated 400 people. It was built in 1912 opened 1913 and closed 1937.
Pictures; Eltham Cinema, courtesy of Thisiseltham, and advert from The Kinematograph Year Book, 1914, page 43
*Thisiselatham, http://www.thisiseltham.co.uk/
No comments:
Post a Comment