Product Description

A richly illustrated history of American theaters from the eighteenth-century opera house to the modern movie multiplex.

A theater is a revered cultural artifact and a technological challenge. This visual sourcebook traces its colorful and varied forms as they developed in early America, on the western frontier, and in cities from coast to coast. The first comprehensive study of American theaters, it illustrates their wide range from raucous music halls to vaudeville, from circus to grand opera, from World's Fair to Coney Island, from nickelodeon to glorious picture palace. Also featured are theaters for burlesque, theaters afloat, military theaters, Shakespearean theaters, summer theaters, theaters and African Americans, and arenas (when a stage just won't do), enlivened by a cast of entrepreneurs and showmen who were the movers and shakers of our theatrical heritage. 1200 illustrations; CD-ROM included.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #411337 in Books
• Published on: 2005-12-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

Review
A richly illustrated history of a beloved cultural building type. -- Sources & Design

An astonishing book....More thoroughly illustrated than any previous work on the subject....The book supplements each illustration with essential facts. -- Urban Design Review, Hugh Hardy

Breathtaking in scope…Insightful and readable…a splendid book. -- Charleston Post & Courier, Peter Wentworth

Comprehensive, fascinating survey…from early playhouses to modern movie houses…[P]owerful visual reference recommended for any serious theater enthusiast. -- California Bookwatch

Featuring over 1,200 illustrations and the expertise of architect and historian Craig Morrison, Theaters belongs on your coffee table. -- Patriot News

It is spectacular! I have no doubt that it will be the standard reference book on this subject. -- Richard J. Sklenar, Executive Director, Theatre Historical Society of America, Inc.

Itself, should be listed on the National Historic Register in recognition of the service it provides urban historians and modelers! -- O-Scale Trains Magazine

Splendidly illustrated… comprehensive… monumental work. -- Playbill

[A] sweeping look at its subject. -- Keith Runyon, Louisville Courier-Journal

[N]o more thorough visual documentation of American theaters has ever been attempted. -- Wall Street Journal, Francis Morrone

About the Author
Craig Morrison, an architect and theater historian, lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

The changing faces and styles of theatres, old to modern
It'd be a shame to limit THEATRES' attraction to architects alone; any with an interest in the stage and theater productions will find this a comprehensive, fascinating survey of the changing history and styles of theaters from early playhouses to modern movie houses. It's the first comprehensive study of American theaters and uses holdings from the Library of Congress to profile a range of styles and settings across the U.S. Blend these archival photos with architectural plans and drawings by artists and you have a powerful visual reference recommended for any serious theater enthusiast.

An amazing catalog of visual history
I used to be a Home Theater installer, and now that I'm getting to the point in my life where I can start putting my own home theater together, I wanted to be able to develop a plan that reflected the long history of theaters in this country, and adopt many unique architectural features found only in classic theaters. I have searched for months to find a book that could show a broad variety of theaters with enough visual detail to get ideas for my own. I had tried Melnick/Fuchs' "Cinema Treasures", Morrison's "Broadway Theaters", Valentine's "The Show Starts At The Sidewalk", Berger's "The Last Remaining Seats", and Jones' "The Southern Movie Palace" - all excellent books if you are looking for history of theaters. However, they all seemed to be short on the images, which is mostly what I was after (with the exception of Berger's and Melnick/Fuchs' books which I felt had great pictures, just not enough of them...).

When I opened this book, I was pleased to find a CD included many of the images and plan drawings in large format available for me to view! While this book doesn't go into the theater's detail and history as well as the other books in my view, as a visual reference, it is invaluable. I would liken this book to a fine still-life photography expo.