photographing congress theater's vestibule and lobby fixtures during the "golden hour"

photo courtesy of theatre historical society of america

image courtesy of eric j. nordstrom and the bldg. 51 museum archive

the following images offer a detailed glimpse at congress theater's lobby light fixtures, grand staircase, and vestibule movie poster cast iron display case captured during the "golden hour." remarkably, the architectural elements featured in this collection of photographs (courtesy of eric j. nordstrom and the bldg. 51 museum archive) haven't been altered since installation in 1926.

the fabricator of the interior lobby and auditorium light fixtures remains unidentified. a top candidate is victor pearlman & company, a depression-era chicago-based producer of specialized ornamental brass and bronze fittings, but no concrete evidence connecting them to congress has been found. pearlman fixtures were made for several chicago movie palaces including the demolished granada and extant uptown theater.

note: this image was taken mid-afternoon, just prior to spending 3-4 hours in the theater's plenums.