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.
If you got in for the ‘Penny Rush’ you had extra money for sweets – Toms early 1930′s matinee memories
As part of the project volunteers were given the opportunity to attend a Website Workshop in which they learnt skills on how to upload text and visual content to this website.
Original Cinema program from the Bootle Gaumont 1962. Although by this time television had drew audiences away from the cinemas, film programs continued to show re released films
Photoplay film magazine not only had articles about new film releases it also had articles about the film stars themselves and their private lives.
The Winter Gardens cinema was a popular place for showing ‘X’ certificate films and memories have been shared
Souvenir Film Brochures were widely sold at cinemas during the initial release of what at the time were described as film “Epics” they helped promote the film and usually contained details of the cast, how the film was made and also assorted stills from the film.
‘How The West as Won’ 1962 was the first film released in Cinerama that actually told a story.