Finding
aid for the collection at Chicago History Museum, Research Center
Inventory by Lynne Paske, 1989; rev. Dana Lamparello, 2016.
Title: Moving
Picture Palaces exhibition collection, photographs by Russell B. Phillips and
Don DuBroff [graphic], 1984-1985
Photographers:
Phillips, Russell B., 1954-, photographer
DuBroff, Don A., photographer.
Accession
number:
1985.0825
Call#:
1985.0825 PCP-0058-0065 & Call#: 1985.0825 PCP-0135
140
photographic prints : col. ; 16 x 20 in.
11
photographic prints : col. ; murals 30 x 40 in.
Restriction:
Advance appointment required to view color materials in cold storage and
materials stored off site.
This descriptive inventory includes:
1.
Biographical sketch
2.
Description of the collection
3.
Container list
Biographical
Sketch
Russell B. Phillips moved to the United
States in 1969 from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
He lived first in Oklahoma City and then moved to Wheaton,
Illinois. After studying painting
Phillips soon switched to photography. He received his Bachelors of Fine Art
from the Kansas City Art Institute and then went on to get his Masters from the
Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Phillips approached the Chicago Historical
Society in 1984 after receiving a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts
to begin this project.
Don A. DuBroff
was born in Chicago but grew up in North Carolina. DuBroff was
educated at the University of North Carolina and received his B.C.A. from
there. He returned to Chicago for
graduate school where he also attended the Illinois Institute of Technology and
got his Masters.
Both photographer's
work has been exhibited and published widely and is in a number of public and
private collections. In 1983 DuBroff received a fellowship from the N.E.A. which lead to his partnership with Phillips on this project. Both photographers later worked as commercial
and architectural photographers.
Description
of the Collection
Interiors of motion picture theaters in the
Chicago area which were constructed between 1920 and 1959. Most theaters
exhibit a thematic architectural or decorative style, such as Egyptian or
Moorish. Theaters are empty of people and are lit to show their architectural
details.
The subject of the collection is the motion
picture theaters in the Chicago area.
The photographs were taken during the period from 1983-1985. The images
speak of a time gone by, the golden age of movies. Back in the 1920's theater owners hired
architects and designers to create a work of art for people to escape in. Many
of the first theaters were patterned after some of Europe's finest opera houses
and cathedrals. DuBroff
and Phillips' goal was to recapture those times and their mystery. They went to thirty-eight theaters and with
careful precision brought back the early days of motion pictures. With the theaters completely deserted a new
vision comes to life. Now, as the lights go on architectural beauty and minute
detail is revealed along with colors sweeping across the image. As a part of recreating the original
atmosphere DuBroff and Phillips had to be experts in
lighting and design. Some images required as much as an hour exposure time to
get just the right effect. The result has been a group of photographs which
serve as not only historical documents but as works of art as well.
Storage Box Lot (8 16 x 20 boxes of 16 x 20
color prints and 12 mural prints [missing as of 3/14/2016)
Processing Note
Initial inventory
created by Lynne Paske in 1989. Although the 30 x
40 color prints are missing as of 3/14/2016, nine framed 40 x 50 color
prints were found at Clark Street; four have been moved offsite and five remain
onsite in offices. It is likely these larger prints form the 30 x 40 murals
material described in this inventory and the 1985 deed but we have no way to
confirm. Three more mural prints (of either size) are still missing as of
3/14/2016 (note: inventory and deed list 12 total mural size;
ARCHIE record lists 11).
Container List
BOX 1
Chicago Theater. Don DuBroff
82-B-828c
82-B-830c
82-B-831c
82-B-833c
82-B-834c
82-B-835c
82-B-836c
Colony Theater. Don DuBroff
84-C-887c
Congress/Mexico Theater. Don DuBroff
82-B-841c
Edens Theater. Don
DuBroff
83-B-869c
83-B-871c
83-B-872c
83-C-877c
Egyptian Theater. Don DuBroff
83-C-856c
83-C-857c
83-C-859c
BOX 2
Gateway Theater. Don DuBroff
83-C-876c
Golf Glen Theater. Don DuBroff
85-E-816c
Golf Mill Theater. Don DuBroff
85-E-815c
Music Box Theater. Don DuBroff
83-C-874c
Nortown Theater. Don
DuBroff
82-B-842c
82-B-843c
82-B-846c
83-B-890c
Old Orchard Theater. Don DuBroff
82-B-875c
82-B-876c
82-B-877c
Oriental, Chicago Theater. Don DuBroff
84-C-885c
84-C-888c
Oriental, Milwaukee Theater. Don DuBroff
83-B-865c
BOX 3
Paramount Theater. Don DuBroff
82-B-856c
Randhurst Theater. Don
DuBroff
85-E-823c
Rialto Theater. Don DuBroff
82-B-854c
83-B861c
85-D-806c
Tivoli Theater. Don DuBroff
83-B-866c
Varsity Theater. Don DuBroff
82-B-879c
83-B-882c
Water Tower Theater. Don DuBroff
85-E-825c
Will Rogers Theater
85-E-820c
85-E-821c
BOX 4
Apollo Theater. Phillips
THS-56
Avalon Theater. Phillips
THS-54
Chicago Theater. Phillips
THS-8
THS-9
THS-10
THS-11
THS-12
THS-13
Colony Theater. Phillips
THS-55
Congress/ Mexico Theater. Phillips
THS-47
THS-48
Coronado Theater. Phillips
THS-57
DuPage Theater. Phillips
THS-49
Edens Theater.
Phillips
THS-45
THS-46
BOX 5
Esquire Theater. Phillips
THS-20
THS-21
THS-22
Golf Mill Theater. Phillips
THS-53
Hinsdale Theater. Phillips
THS-27
THS-28
Lake Theater. Phillips
THS-18
THS-19
McClurg Court Theater. Phillips
THS-51
Music Box Theater. Phillips
THS-36
THS-37
THS-38
THS-39
THS-40
BOX 6
Nortown Theater.
Phillips
THS-1
THS-2
THS-3
THS-4
THS-5
THS-6
THS-7
Old Orchard Theater. Phillips
THS-41
THS-42
Oriental, Milwaukee Theater. Phillips
THS-31
THS-32
Paramount Theater. Phillips
THS-43
THS-44
Parkway Theater. Phillips
THS-50
BOX 7
Pickwick Theater. Phillips
THS-23
THS-24
THS-25
THS-26
Rialto Theater. Phillips
THS-29
THS-30
Riviera Theater. Phillips
THS-58
Tivoli Theater. Phillips
THS-52
Varsity Theater. Phillips
THS-33
THS-34
THS-35
Water Tower Theater. Phillips
THS-16
THS-17
BOX 8
Will Rogers Theater. Phillips
THS-14
THS-15
THS-15a
Chicago Theater. DuBroff/Phillips
85-E-835c
THS-60c
DuPage Theater. DuBroff/Phillips
85-E-835c
THS-61c
Call#: 1985.0825 PCP-0135:
Folder 1
Art Theater, 85-E-819C DuBroff
Atlantic Theater, 85-E-817C DuBroff
Chicago Theater, 82-B-832C DuBroff
Coronado Theater, 86-E-831C DuBroff
Coronado Theater, 86-E-831E DuBroff
Folder 2
Egyptian Theater, 83-C-860C DuBroff
Esquire Theater, 82-B-837C DuBroff
Golf Mill Theater, 85-E-832C DuBroff/
Phillips
Also the notation "THS-59"
Golf Mill Theater, 85-E-842C DuBroff
Hillside Mall (Twin), 85-E-843C DuBroff
Folder 3
McClurg Court Theater, 83-B-867C DuBroff
Mexico Theater, 82-B-840C DuBroff
Nortown Theater, 82-B-844C DuBroff
Oriental Theater (Chicago), 84-C-886C DuBroff
Oriental Theater (Milwaukee), 83-B-863C DuBroff
Oriental Theater (Milwaukee), 83-B-868C DuBroff
Folder 4
Paramount Theater, 82-B-848C DuBroff
Pickwick Theater, 82-B-849C DuBroff
Pickwick Theater, 82-B-850C DuBroff
Folder 5
Rand Theater, 85-E-822C DuBroff
Rialto Theater, 85-D-806C DuBroff
Riviera Theater, 86-E-845E DuBroff
United Artists Theater / Apollo, 86-E-828C DuBroff
Water Tower Theater, 85-E-824C DuBroff
MURALS Missing as of 3/14/2016
Al Ringling Theater. DuBroff/ Phillips
86-E-849c/THS-74c
86-E-848c/THS-73c
86-E-847c/THS-72c
Apollo/United Artist Theater. DuBroff/ Phillips
86-E-827c/THS-68c
Arcada Theater. DuBroff/Phillips
86-E-826c/THS-62c
Chicago Theater. DuBroff/Phillips
85-E-836c/THS-63c
Coronado Theater. DuBroff/Phillips
86-E-829E/THS-64c
DuPage Theater. DuBroff/Phillips
85-E-834c/THS-70c
Fine Arts Theater. DuBroff/Phillips
85-E-839c/THS-65c
Rialto Square Theater. DuBroff/Phillips
82-B-851c/THS-66c
Riviera Theater. DuBroff/Phillips
85-E-838c/THS-67c
Vic Theater. DuBroff/Phillips
85-E-837c/THS-69c