lot of three original silver gelatin prints made for the firm of graven & mayger. the prints feature the extant tennessee theater's exterior horizontal marquee, interior auditorium (looking toward stage), and projection room. the rare photographic prints were discovered with other architectural records belonging to the firm of chicago-based graven & mayger. a small selection of images will be made available for purchase. the historic tennessee theater (extant) was built within an existing ten-story steel frame building originally known as the knoxville banking and trust company (1908). the theater opened on october 1, 1928, and with nearly 2,000 seats in the auditorium, it was billed as "knoxville's grand entertainment palace.” the tennessee was designed by chicago-based architects graven & mayger in the spanish-moorish style, with additional design elements Incorporated from all parts of the world, including, but not limited to, czechoslovakian crystals in the french-style chandeliers, italian terrazzo flooring in the grand lobby, and oriental influences in the carpet and drapery patterns. the theater was built by chicago’s george a. fuller company,who built several skyscrapers in chicago and elsewhere, including the famous flatiron building in new york city. fuller broke ground on november 1, 1927. the theater was one of the first public buildings in knoxville to have air conditioning when completed in 1928. in 1966, alterations made to the theaters reduced its seating capacity to 1545 seats. The theater closed in 1977. it was later purchased by local radio company dick broadcasting in 1981, who started a renovation effort to prepare it for the 1982 world's fair. the historic tennessee theater foundation (httf) was formed in 1996 and dick broadcasting donated the theater to the non-profit. it was designated "the official state theater of tennessee". in 2001, the foundation announced a campaign to completely restore and renovate the theater. the $29.3 million project was funded through public and private donations with the help of $6.3 million in tax credits. the theater closed for renovations in june 2003 to completely restore it to its original grandeur. renovations included expansions of the stage depth via a cantilever two stories above state street, which accommodated larger and more elaborate productions, a custom orchestra shell to enhance the acoustics of the new larger stage, an enlarged orchestra pit, upgraded dressing room facilities, modernization of the lighting, rigging, and other theatrical equipment, the installations of elevators, and a new marquee. restorations included new carpets, draperies, and lighting fixtures that duplicated the original designs, and historically accurate restoration of all plaster and paint surfaces throughout the lobby, lounges, foyers, and the auditorium. integration of acoustic treatments into the restored auditorium and lobby, and a substantially improved exterior sound isolation system were included in the restoration design. seating capacity is now at 1,645 patrons. the theater reopened on january 14, 2005 and presented a near sold-out season. it now offers a wide range of performing arts events and classic films to the public, and it is managed by ac entertainment. priced for the lot of three.