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Authored by Society president George Meiser IX |
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TWO News-Bits of Reading-Berks historical
interest.... ======================================= This news-letter contains THREE rare photos of the Front St. nickelodeon moving-picture theatre. If you can’t open the views, access them here: http://www.berkshistory.org/histsoc/news.html ======================================== ======================================== 1- San Toy movie theatre building in Reading removed 2- "Researching Your Historic Home" - a free program at the Historical Society, March 12th, at 7:30 ======================================== 1- An email received today from Society videographer Joe DeAngelo informed us that the San Toy movie theatre building at 511 Front St., opposite Green St., was recently removed. Many thought the structure had been razed years ago, but such was not the case. When you’d drive up the Front St. hill and look about 10 feet back from the building line, you could see the original theatre building. A "new front" had been added sometime after 1933. For years, this was used by E. Scott Althouse’s chemical company. In remained in use as part of a chemical company complex until fairly recent times. When first opened on Aug. 30, 1914, as a silent picture movie house, the San Toy wasn’t all that large. In time, this most unusual of all the Reading movie theatres was enlarged to twice its original seating capacity. 
With the advent of talking movies and the introduction of the Vitaphone process, which employed a 16-inch phonograph record synchronized with the film’s action, the San Toy had problems maintaining the synchronization as it was built right next to a railroad track. The vibration factor was formidable. Whenever a train rambled by, the needle jumped the groove, causing a mismatch of spoken dialogue and the speaker’s lip movements. The operator stopped the film and attempt to regain the synchronization. This was reported by the late Ruth Hughes of the 400 block of West Windsor St. who worked at the theatre as a cashier. As was the fate of a number of neighborhood houses, where revenues were modest, the financial strains imposed by the Depression caused the theatre to close--in 1933. The photo below shows the old Front Street bridge. If you look directly above the car coming down the hill, you can see the unusual roof line of the theatre with its unique ventilator. 
=================================== 2- REMINDER: This coming WEDNESDAY, March 12, at 7:30, Michelle Lynch, former Historic Preservation Specialist for the city of Reading, will present a special program to explain HOW TO RESEARCH YOUR HISTORIC HOME. This is a free program---sponsored by the Centre Park Historic District---in the auditorium of the Historical Society of Berks County, 940 Centre Ave., Rdg. Michelle will give tips on how to use Berks County resources to gather information about your home--or a home in which you have a special interest. Come and bring a friend. Refreshments will be provided. F Y I --the Centre Park's 15th Annual FLEA MARKET will take place on Saturday, April 12, opening at 8 a.m. Mark your calendar now. Want a stand? $10 per space. Info? Call Mike Lauter at 610 - 372 - 7376 =============gmmix=====end=============== |
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