Going To The Pictures

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.

Memories are made of this… Project overview

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.

Cinema Heritage Interactive Map

Explore this map of 21 local cinemas within a 3 mile radius of the Plaza, from 1930 to 1960.

Gender roles portrayed in the cinema where sometimes untrue to life but helped to reinforce stereotypes

Gender roles portrayed in cinema

Gender roles portrayed in the cinema where sometimes untrue to life but helped to reinforce stereotypes

Some young cinema goers were given the responsibility of being a monitor - providing help and assistance to the cinema staff

Children’s Cinema Club Monitors

Some young cinema goers were given the responsibility of being a monitor – providing help and assistance to the cinema staff

Harold Ackroyd

A fantastic book about the Picture Houses of Liverpool has been a great source of information for the project and has in some cases worked as an aid memoir in collecting and helping jog memories. […]

This is a scanned copy of a flyer that was handed out in cinemas to advertising forthcoming films.

Flyer for ‘Nine Hours to Rama,’ 1962

This is a scanned copy of a flyer that was handed out in cinemas to advertising forthcoming films.

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'

Flyer for the film ‘Cape Fear,’ Bootle Gaumont

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’

We come along on a Saturday morning, greeting everybody with a smile....
Children’s Matinees
Saturday morning, hundreds of unsupervised rowdy children.  What could it be?

“We come along on a Saturday morning, greeting everybody with a smile…”

We come along on a Saturday morning, greeting everybody with a smile….
Children’s Matinees
Saturday morning, hundreds of unsupervised rowdy children. What could it be?

Showtime was first published in 1964 by the Rank Organisation as a competitor to ABC's Film Review, it had similar content but ceased publication by the late 1960's.

Showtime

Showtime was first published in 1964 by the Rank Organisation as a competitor to ABC’s Film Review, it had similar content but ceased publication by the late 1960′s.

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.

The Gainsborough Knowsley Road Bootle

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.