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documenting portage theater's portals to the past

the gradual process of uncovering the multitude of undisturbed objects left behind by the congress theater tradesmen, prior to the theater's grand opening in september of 1926, has inspired me to put together a book detailing my experiences witnessing the resurrection of these long-forgotten tradesmen.

by uncovering discarded items, i was provided with an insight into the goods they consumed and the materials they worked with while constructing the plaster dome high above the theater's auditorium ceiling.

in addition to publishing a book accompanied by a traveling exhibition, i felt the need to recreate my initial experiences by visiting other theaters of the depression era to determine what, if anything, was left behind by the tradesmen involved in their construction. i set out to determine and document this involvement, as well as generate a visual record of both the similarities and differences in materials and methodologies in theater construction during the 1920's and 1930's. in addition, i compiled  a photographic study of discarded objects used or consumed by the laborers within their respective trades.

i wanted to address simple questions about the workmen themselves, such as whether or not they drank or smoked on the job, and if so, what brands did they prefer and during what years. more technical matters also needed to be addressed to further understand exactly what materials were being used and why when building the plaster palaces of the depression. here, i've collected a number of "specimens", including a variety of types of metal mesh lath, bags and boxes of materials, ropes and ladders, sockets, condulets, and several other items to help better understand this technology and how it evolved over time.

i was especially interested in the case of the portage - built in 1920 - since the theater was built before the movie palaces of the mid-1920's and 1930's, where elaborate fantastical worlds were made using painted plaster. the configuration and characteristics of the "iron tent", used to support the weight of the ornamental plaster hung above and around the portage's auditorium, was also something i was interested in deconstructing through photographic documentation. and just like at the congress, the tradesmen at portage left their presence in the form of several objects that shared similar characteristics to those i'd previously unearthed, despite a five year age difference. a selection of found objects from one of my many visits is below. 

portage theater's history:

built for the ascher brothers circuit, the neoclassical style portage theater is one of the few surviving “pre-movie palace” theater located on the northwest side of chicago. the extant theater opened on december 11, 1920 as the portage park theater (its original name is still visible – it was incorporated into the facade's terra cotta ornament). the 1938-seat theater features an interior with a megaphone-shaped auditorium based on a formal beaux-arts opera house design. portage was the first theater built specifically for film within the surrounding neighborhood.

when the theater was taken over by balaban and katz in 1940, the new owners opted for a more refined or modern look to blend in with existing architectural styles at “six corners,” where the sears department store and klee brothers building were located. the renovation included a streamlined style horizontal marquee above the entrance, along with extensive alterations to the theater’s foyer and lobby. the auditorium and its ornamental plaster dome were left largely untouched.

during the 1980’s, after remaining a popular fixture as a second-run moviehouse, the theater underwent another dramatic alteration, where the auditorium was divided into two cinemas divided by a single wall built within its auditorium. the portage was closed in 2001 where it was restored back to a single screen theater over the next five years.

today the portage theater is the home of the silent film society of chicago, the northwest chicago film society, and hosts the chicago silent film festival.

catalog of selected objects recovered from portage theater's attic:



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