![Eberson Head 1912](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Eberson_Head_1912.jpg)
John Adolph Emil Eberson (January 2, 1875 – March 5, 1954) was an
Austrian-American
Austrian Americans (, ) are Americans of Austrian descent, chiefly German-speaking Catholics and Jews. According to the 2000 U.S. census, there were 735,128 Americans of full or partial Austrian descent, accounting for 0.3% of the population. The ...
architect best known for the development and promotion of
movie palace
A movie palace (or picture palace in the United Kingdom) is any of the large, elaborately decorated movie theaters built between the 1910s and the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opening every year between 192 ...
designs in the
atmospheric theatre
An atmospheric theatre is a type of movie palace design which was popular in the late 1920s. Atmospheric theatres were designed and decorated to evoke the feeling of a particular time and place for patrons, through the use of projectors, archit ...
style. He designed over 500 theatres in his lifetime, earning the nickname "Opera House John". His most notable surviving theatres in the United States include the
Tampa Theatre (1926),
Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including:
Australia
*Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria
*Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales
Canada
*Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, Mo ...
(1928),
Majestic Theatre Majestic Theatre or Majestic Theater may refer to:
Australia
* Majestic Theatre, Adelaide, former name of a theatre in King William Street, Adelaide, built 1916, now demolished
*Majestic Theatre, Launceston, a former cinema in Tasmania designed by ...
(1929), Akron Civic Theatre (1929) and
Paramount Theatre (1929). Remaining international examples in the atmospheric style include both the
Capitol Theatre (1928) and
State Theatre (1929) in
Sydney, Australia
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...
,
The Forum (1929,
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metropol ...
) and
Le Grand Rex (1932,
Paris, France
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
).
Life and career
John Adolf Emil Eberson was born in
Czernowitz,
Bukovina
Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...
,
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
, now south western Ukraine, on January 2, 1875. He was the son of Sigfried and Lora (Schmidt) Eberson.
He attended high school in
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
,
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
and studied electrical engineering at the
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich histor ...
. After completing his studies in 1896, Eberson joined the Fourteenth Hussaren Regiment of the Austrian Army.
Eberson immigrated to the United States in 1901, sailing on a ship that left
Bremerhaven. He arrived in New York City, and traveled to settle in
St. Louis. His first work there was with an electrical contracting company. Within a few years, he affiliated with Johnson Realty and Construction Company, a theatre architecture and construction company. Eberson and Johnson traveled around the eastern part of America, promoting opera houses in small towns. Once the town was persuaded to build an opera house, Eberson would design it and Johnson would build it. It was in this pursuit that Eberson took the title "Opera House John."
Eberson married Beatrice Lamb (1885–1954) in 1903. She immigrated from Great Britain, and was an interior decorator. They had three children, Drew, Lora Mary and Elsa.
In 1904, Eberson and his family moved to
Hamilton, Ohio
Hamilton is a city in and the county seat of Butler County, Ohio, United States. Located north of Cincinnati, Hamilton is the second largest city in the Greater Cincinnati area and the 10th largest city in Ohio. The population was 63,399 at th ...
. It was there that Eberson's first theatre was located, the Hamilton Jewel. The 350-seat Jewel was constructed in an existing, pre-Civil War building. While in Hamilton, Eberson designed local buildings, and continued his opera house design work.
![Majestic Theatre, Houston, Texas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Majestic_Theatre%2C_Houston%2C_Texas.jpg)
The Ebersons moved to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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in 1910. In Chicago, Eberson was able to increase his theatre architectural commissions. An early client was Karl Hoblitzelle's Interstate Amusement Company. The first two theatres he designed for Hoblitzelle were the Fort Worth Majestic (Fort Worth, Texas, 1911) and the
Austin Majestic (Austin, Texas, 1915). Neither was ground-breaking in design, and neither was in the atmospheric style. He first experimented with atmospheric design at the Dallas Majestic (1921), the
Indiana Theatre (Terre Haute) (1922) and the
Orpheum Theatre (Wichita, Kansas) (1922). It was in the design of the Houston Majestic (1923) that Eberson created his first full atmospheric theatre.
In 1926 Eberson moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. He opened an office at the
Rodin Studios, 200 West Fifty-seventh Street. In July 1929, he made the decision to close the Chicago office and consolidate all of the design work in New York. At about the same time, he formally brought his son Drew Eberson (1904–1989) into the business, although Drew had helped before on many sites. Drew became his partner and carried on the business after his father's death.
Eberson attained national, and even international acclaim for his atmospheric theatres, many of them executed in exotic revival styles, including
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...
,
Spanish Revival
The Spanish Colonial Revival Style ( es, Arquitectura neocolonial española) is an architectural stylistic movement arising in the early 20th century based on the Spanish Colonial architecture of the Spanish colonization of the Americas.
In the ...
,
Moorish Revival
Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of Romanticist Orientalism. It reached the height of its popularity after the mid-19th centur ...
and others.
Theatres
Eberson began his theatre design work with traditional, small town opera houses. One of the first designs was in Hamilton, Ohio, where he and his family lived. Theatre historian David Naylor described Eberson as "an architectural Johnny Appleseed for Sunbelt theater-goers." He designed traditional opera houses and theatres throughout the South.
In the 1920s, beginning with the Hoblitzelle Majestic Theatre (Houston, 1923, razed), Eberson perfected a new theatre design, which became known as the
atmospheric theatre
An atmospheric theatre is a type of movie palace design which was popular in the late 1920s. Atmospheric theatres were designed and decorated to evoke the feeling of a particular time and place for patrons, through the use of projectors, archit ...
style. Eberson himself credited the Hoblitzelle Majestic Theatre (Houston, 1923, razed) as the first atmospheric style theatre. Clearly, Eberson tried out some of his concepts at the
Orpheum Theatre (Wichita, Kansas) (1922) and the
Indiana Theatre (Terre Haute, Indiana)
The Indiana Theatre is a historic theater in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 13, 1997 and is located in the Wabash Avenue-East Historic District. It opened on January 28, 1 ...
(1922). However, with the Houston Majestic he perfected the style, adding features that made the departure from all that came before.
Many of Eberson's later designs, some executed with his son Drew, were in the
art deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
and
streamline moderne
Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In industrial design ...
styles. In all, Eberson designed close to 100 movie palaces, located in dozens of states in the United States, including:
* 1905: Hamilton (Ohio) Jewel Theatre
* 1906: Grand Opera House (Federal Style, 1200 seats), 115 East Second Street,
Tulsa, OK 74103 (razed 1971)
* 1913: Orpheum (aka Empress, Rialto) Theatre (Neo-Renaissance, 1200 seats), 17 West Third Street,
Tulsa, OK 74103 (razed 1971)
* 1915:
Hippodrome Theatre (Terre Haute, Indiana),
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...
* 1915:
The Paramount Theatre (Austin, Texas)
The Paramount Theatre is a live theatre venue/movie theatre located in downtown Austin, Texas. The classical revival style structure was built in 1915. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on June 23, 1976.
In the ...
,
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
* 1917: Palace Theatre, 205 E. Kearsley Street,
Flint, Michigan
Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...
(modernized inside and out 1950, razed 1977)
* 1920: Hippodrome Theater and
Ballroom
A ballroom or ballhall is a large room inside a building, the primary purpose of which is holding large formal parties called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions and palaces, especially historic man ...
(similar design to Terre Haute Hippodrome, Neo-Renaissance, 2200 seats), 100 East Seventh Street,
Okmulgee, Oklahoma
Okmulgee is a city in, and the county seat of, Okmulgee County, Oklahoma. The name is from the Mvskoke word ''okimulgee,'' which means "boiling waters".Bamburg, Maxine"Okmulgee,"''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. Accessed June 16 ...
74447 (burned 1934)
* 1921:
Majestic Theatre (Dallas)
The Majestic Theatre is a performing arts theater in the City Center District of Downtown Dallas. It is the last remnant of Theater Row, the city's historic entertainment center on Elm Street, and is a contributing property in the Harwood Str ...
,
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...
* 1921:
Strand Theatre and Arcade (later Michigan),
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making ...
(auditorium demolished 1984)
* 1922:
Indiana Theatre (Terre Haute, Indiana)
The Indiana Theatre is a historic theater in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 13, 1997 and is located in the Wabash Avenue-East Historic District. It opened on January 28, 1 ...
, 683 Ohio Street (Eberson's first theatre with the beginning of atmospheric design elements; the Indiana Theatre was constructed eight months before the Orpheum. Completed January 28, 1922.)
* 1922:
Orpheum, 200 North Broadway,
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...
* 1923: Majestic Theater,
Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
(Eberson's first fully atmospheric theater) (demolished 1971)
* 1924:
Palace Theater (Gary, Indiana)
The Palace Theater is a 1925 movie theater, now closed, located at 791 Broadway in Gary, Indiana, in the city's Emerson neighborhood. It was designed by the prominent movie palace architect John Eberson.
History
The Palace Theater was built by ...
(closed since 1972 and lying in ruins)
* 1924: New Orpheum Theater (Renaissance Revival, 1400 seats), 12 East Fourth Street,
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
74103 (razed 1971)
* 1925: Capitol Theater,
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
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,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
(demolished 1985)
* 1925:
Riviera Theatre
The Riviera Theatre is a concert venue located on the north side of Chicago, Illinois, United States.
About
Built in 1917, it was designed by Rapp and Rapp for the Balaban & Katz theatre chain run by A. J. Balaban, his brother Barney Balaba ...
, Detroit Michigan (demolished 1990s)
* 1926:
Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including:
Australia
*Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria
*Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales
Canada
*Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, Mo ...
,
Canton, Ohio
Canton () is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, Ohio. It is located approximately south of Cleveland and south of Akron in Northeast Ohio. The city lies on the edge of Ohio's extensive Amish country, particularly in Holmes and ...
. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 26, 1979.
* 1926:
Olympia Theater,
Miami, Florida
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
* 1926:
Tampa Theatre,
Tampa, Florida
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
; listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
, 1978
* 1926: Valencia Theater,
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
(demolished 1962)
* 1926: Ritz Theater (Atmospheric, 1400 seats), 18 West Fourth Street,
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
74103 (auditorium razed 1963)
* 1927: Loew's Theater (now
Richmond CenterStage
Richmond CenterStage is a performing arts center in Richmond, Virginia, that includes the Altria Theatre and the theatre formerly known as the Carpenter Theatre Center for the Performing Arts. The Carpenter Theatre was originally a Loew's Theat ...
),
Richmond, Virginia
(Thus do we reach the stars)
, image_map =
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* 1927: Riviera Theater,
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
(now restored and renamed the Rose Theater)
* 1927:
State Theatre,
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolit ...
* 1927:
Capitol Theatre, 140 E. Second St.,
Flint, Michigan
Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...
; listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1985
* 1927: Annex Theater,
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
(demolished 1960)
* 1927: Universal Theater (Atmospheric, 2400 seats) (
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York); mostly known as the 46th Street Theatre (razed 2015)
* 1927: Capitol Theater (
Grand Island, Nebraska
Grand Island is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 53,131 at the 2020 census.
Grand Island is the principal city of the Grand Island metropolitan area, which consists of Hall, Merrick, ...
) (demolished 1986)
* 1928:
New Regal Theater (formerly Avalon Theater), Chicago, Illinois
* 1928:
Embassy Theatre,
Fort Wayne, Indiana; listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1975
* 1928:
The Louisville Palace
The Palace Theatre (previously known as the Loew's Theatre, Loew's United Artist Theatre and the United Artists Theatre, it is locally known as the Louisville Palace) is a music venue in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, located in the city's theat ...
,
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
* 1928:
Uptown Theater,
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
* 1928:
The Palace Theatre,
Marion, Ohio
Marion is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Ohio, Marion County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus.
The population was 35,999 at the 2020 United S ...
; listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1975
* 1928: Paradise Theater (Chicago, Illinois) (demolished 1956–58)
* 1928:
Capitol Theatre,
Sydney, Australia
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...
, live theatre designed by
Henry Eli White with John Eberson
* 1928:
Ambassadors Theatre, (
Perth, Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
) (demolished 1972)
* 1929: Loew's Theatre,
Akron, Ohio
Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County, Ohio, Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 C ...
(now
Akron Civic Theatre)
* 1929:
Loew's Paradise Theatre,
The Bronx, New York (one of the five
Loew's Wonder Theaters, which were Loew's
flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
theaters in the
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
area)
* 1929:
Loew's Valencia Theatre
The Loew's Valencia Theatre is a former movie palace at 16511 Jamaica Avenue in Queens, New York City. Built in 1929 as one of the Loew's Wonder Theatres, the theater was donated to The Tabernacle of Prayer for All People in 1977. It was designat ...
,
Queens, New York
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long I ...
, another of the 5
Loew's Wonder Theaters
* 1929:
Paramount Theatre,
Anderson, Indiana
Anderson, named after Chief William Anderson, is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison County. Anderson is ...
* 1929:
State Theatre,
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metropol ...
, twinned 1962/63, live concert and cinema venue. Listed on the
Victorian Heritage Register
The Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) lists places deemed to be of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 2017. The Minister for Planning is the responsible Minister. H ...
in 1978 and classified by the
National Trust of Australia
The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's Ind ...
in 1994
* 1929:
State Theatre,
Sydney, Australia
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...
designed with
Henry Eli White
* 1929: Memorial Theater,
cKeesport, Pennsylvania(demolished 1985)
* 1929:
Majestic Theatre (San Antonio),
San Antonio, Texas
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
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, subdivision_t ...
listed on the National Register of Historical Places 1975 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991
* 1931:
The Warner Theatre,
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Monongahela River. The largest city in North-Central West Virginia, Morgantown is best known as th ...
* 1930: Midwest Theatre (Atmospheric, 1700 seats), 16 North Harvey Avenue,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...
73102 (razed 1975)
* 1931: Plaza Theater,
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...
(demolished 1964)
* 1931:
Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including:
Australia
*Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria
*Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales
Canada
*Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, Mo ...
,
Albany, New York
Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City ...
* 1932: Loew's 72nd Street Theater
anhattan, New YorkEberson's last atmospheric design with Thomas Lamb (closed 1961 and subsequently demolished)
* 1932:
Le Grand Rex, Paris, France, as consulting architect to Auguste Bluysen
* 1936: Dixie Theater,
Staunton, Virginia
Staunton ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,750. In Virginia, independent cities a ...
* 1936: Palace Theatre,
Lockport, New York renovation/redesign of interior; departure from his atmospheric style
* 1936: Sag Harbor Cinema, Main Street
Sag Harbor, New York (burned December, 2016)
* 1937: Yeadon Theater, Yeadon Pennsylvania (demolished 2006)
* 1937: Colony Theater,
Shaker Heights, Ohio; first opened December 28, 1937, it has been renovated and is now known as the Shaker Square Cinemas
* 1938:
Lakewood Theater (Dallas),
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...
* 1938:
Bethesda Theater,
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...
; listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1999
* 1938:
Silver Theater
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
,
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially unincorporated, in practice it is an edge city, with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 censu ...
* 1938:
Schines Auburn Theatre,
Auburn, New York
Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States. Located at the north end of Owasco Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in Central New York, the city had a population of 26,866 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city of Cayuga County, the ...
; listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 2000
* 1940:
Oswego Theater,
Oswego, New York
Oswego () is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 16,921 at the 2020 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in Upstate New York, about 35 miles (55km) northwest of Syracuse. It promotes itself as "The Port C ...
; listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1988
* 1941:
The Norwalk Theatre,
Norwalk, Ohio
* 1941: Schines Theatre,
Ashland, Ohio; listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 2012; currently undergoing restoration
* 1946:
Woodlawn Theatre,
San Antonio, Texas
("Cradle of Freedom")
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, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
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* 1950: Teatro Junin,
Caracas, Venezuela
Other theatres were designed in
Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley of Mex ...
,
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
,
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
and
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Australia.
A significant number of his estimated 500 buildings, and including an estimated 100 atmospheric theatres, have been destroyed. Many were victims of redevelopment; changing taste came to consider the style dated, and the rise of television reduced the demand for theaters with very large auditoriums, with newer business models calling for several smaller auditoriums on one site to allow the screening of several pictures simultaneously rather than just one.
Other works
Eberson and his architectural firm also designed other buildings. His earliest commission was in Hamilton, Ohio, where the Ebersons made their home beginning in 1904.
[Levin, A John Eberson Scrapbook, 2-3] His first commissioned job was that same year, when he designed an Ionic-columned porch for Mrs. Sheehan, a Hamilton resident, for which he received $20.
Terre Haute, Indiana is home of Eberson's Indiana Theatre, and to one of Eberson's earliest theaters, the
Hippodrome Theatre
The Hippodrome Theatre, also called the New York Hippodrome, was a theater in New York City from 1905 to 1939, located on Sixth Avenue between West 43rd and West 44th Streets in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan. It was called the worl ...
, which opened in 1915. Branching out from his usual theater design, Eberson also designed the home of Theodore W. Barhydt, the man who commissioned Eberson for the Hippodrome and Indiana Theatres. Terre Haute is one of the few places in the world to boast multiple Eberson buildings, including his only residential design.
Eberson helped with the war effort during World War II. He designed a hospital on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
, and housing at
Fort Monmouth, New Jersey and at the
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...
.
His other works included the YWCA Hotel (1931) (atmospheric) Cafeteria, & Gym, 320 NW 1st St,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...
(razed 1975).
Gallery
References
* Earl, John. "Landscape in the Theatre: Historical Perspective." Landscape Research 16, no. 1 (1991): 21–29.
* Hall, Ben M. ''The Best Remaining Seats: The Golden Age of the Movie Palace''. New York: Bramhall House, 1961.
* Herzog, Charlotte. "The Movie Palace and the Theatrical Sources of Its Architectural Style." Cinema Journal (Spring 1981): 15–37.
* Hoffman, Scott L., ''A Theatre History of Marion, Ohio: John Eberson's Palace and Beyond.'' Charlotte, NC: The History Press, 2015.
* Levin, Steve. "A John Eberson Scrapbook." Theatre Historical Society of America 27 (2000).
* Naylor, David. ''American Picture Palaces: The Architecture of Fantasy''. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1981.
* Rosenblum, Constance. ''Boulevard of Dreams: Heady Times, Heartbreak, and Hope Along the Grand Concourse in the Bronx''. New York: New York University Press, 2011
* Thorne, Ross, ''Picture Palace Architecture in Australia'', Sun Books Pty. Ltd., South Melbourne, Australia, 1976.
* Wondra, Keith. ''From the Land of Andalusia to the Wheat Fields of Kansas: A History of Wichita's Historic Orpheum Theatre''. Charleston, SC: CreateSpace, 2011.
External links
Information on Atmospheric TheatersTheatre Historical Society of AmericaList of theaters designed by EbersonJohn Eberson Architecture on Google MapsJohn and Drew Eberson Architectural Records ArchiveEberson Archive materials on the Wolfsonian Digital Catalog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eberson, John
Movie palaces
American theatre architects
1875 births
1954 deaths
Austro-Hungarian emigrants to the United States
People from Chernivtsi
Jewish architects
Theatre architects