The aim of the Going to the Pictures Project has been to help preserve a part of our local cinema heritage by collecting and recording memories from people who used and worked in the local picture houses from the 1930′s to the 1960′s.
Explore this map of 21 local cinemas within a 3 mile radius of the Plaza, from 1930 to 1960.
The Gainsborough, opened in 1922 and was named after the famous painter Thomas Gainsborough. It was built almost directly opposite The Picture House of Bootle and helped bring about its closure.
Flyers distributed in cinemas were a popular way to advertise forthcoming features.
Some young cinema goers were given the responsibility of being a monitor – providing help and assistance to the cinema staff
The film magazine Picture Show was first published in 1919, and gave readers an insight into films that were showing at their local cinemas but more importantly it gave readers the opportunity to learn more […]
Cinema programs were freely available within cinemas and used to promote forth coming films and local buisinesses. Here we have an original copy of a program from the Bootle Odeon for June 1963
Flyer for the Boolte Gaumont Cinema which has been kept for over 50 years and scanned especially for the Going to the Pictures Project. The flyer from 1961 is advertising a future presentation of the film ‘Cape Fear’
I sent the 3 children to the pictures and my youngest son actually committed the cardinal sin of The Gaumont
The Stella Cinema a 1920′s gem which accommodated seating for 1200 patrons