After the Final Curtain: Matt Lambros Photographs America’s Movie Theaters in Ruins

Feature by
The Loew’s Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, designed by the architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp. All images courtesy of Matt Lambros, After the Final Curtain.

Abandoned architecture has fascinated Matt Lambros since he was five years old. “I’ve spent ten years composing photographic obituaries for once-thriving buildings that are now crumbled and forgotten,” the New York City-based photographer writes on his blog, After the Final Curtain.

Matt’s new book, After the Final Curtain: The Fall of the American Movie Theater, showcases 24 movie theaters across the US — once grand and lavish, now neglected. Here, in eight photographs, he offers us a glimpse into the decaying past.

The Fox Theatre in Inglewood, California, opened on March 31, 1949.
The Fox Theatre in Inglewood, California, opened in 1949. The Fox was the last theater built by 20th Century Fox before a Supreme Court case that declared movie studios were no longer allowed to own theaters and hold exclusivity rights on where their films were shown.
The Capitol Theatre, located in New London, Connecticut, opened in 1921.
The Capitol Theatre — located in New London, Connecticut — opened in 1921.
Another shot of the Loew's Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, overlooking the lobby.
This shot of the Loew’s Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York (featured at the top of this post), overlooks the lobby.
A view of the ceiling of the Loew's Canal Theatre, which opened in 1927 in New York, New York. It was the second largest movie theater in the city when it opened, with 2,314 seats.
Looking up: a view of the ceiling of the Loew’s Canal Theatre, which opened in 1927 in New York City. It was the second largest movie theater in the city when it opened, with 2,314 seats.
The Loew's Poli Theatre in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was designed by Thomas W. Lamb, a notable architect of 20th-century theaters.
The Loew’s Poli Theatre in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was designed by Thomas W. Lamb, a notable architect of 20th-century theaters.
The Loew's Majestic Theatre, the "sister" of the Poli Theatre above, was made in the Neo-Renaissance style and also designed by Lamb.
The Loew’s Majestic Theatre, the “sister” of the Poli Theatre above, was made in the Neo-Renaissance style and also designed by Lamb.
The Paramount Theatre, located in Staten Island, New York, was designed by the same architects as the Loew’s Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, featured above.
The Paramount Theatre, located in Staten Island, New York, was designed by the same architects as the Loew’s Kings Theatre in Brooklyn.

My hope for my work is that it will shine light on beautiful, dated architecture and on the equal yet sinister beauty in decay.

Read more about Matt Lambros’ project and book at After the Final Curtain and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can buy his book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound.

37 Comments

  4. These are great photos of some amazing spaces. It is sad that they are abandoned. In my city, the 1920s era Paramount Theater was lovingly restored and reopened as a venue for the arts. The acoustics in that theater are fantastic!

    Liked by 5 people

  7. These were fantastic places to see “real event” movies… ‘How the West Was Won’, ‘The Blue Max’, ‘The Sand Pebbles’, ‘Earthquake’, ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ and so many more. Great read and awesome images!
    R/ Chris

    Liked by 4 people

  8. Sad and beautiful at the same time. Sadly I have to say the same phenomenon happened in the UK. Only recently Alexandra Palace, the birthplace of television broadcasting, was in the news. The reason being that there is an abandoned Victorian era theatre in the Alexandra Palace complex which some people hope to restore. This theatre still has it’s stage machinery (lifts, trapdoors, fly towers etc) in place. The theatre was also converted to a film theatre but was abandoned just as those in the US fell into disuse. Fantastic pics and article, thanks for sharing

    Liked by 4 people

  12. The modernization of the cinema industry has really brought down the elegant beauty of these theaters. To think that humanity went from viewing opera and plays on a grand stage, to sitting at home in front of a bright screen eating candy and popcorn…

    Liked by 6 people

  15. This is my first time ever to actually even see a picture of beautiful theaters. They look amazing in the pictures: old but fascinating.

    Liked by 6 people

  27. Great project! It reminds me of photos with models with ruined buildings in background, this kind of photos were mainstream once…anyway, I find your idea very classy, kind of old school in these modern days, and sad but nice to see though 🙂

    Liked by 4 people

  31. Very interesting project; It is such a shame that such beauty like that has gone to waste; Hopefully it would be restored into something else so very beautiful.-JW

    Liked by 2 people

  32. These are so cool… There’s a fox theatre in spokane, washington.That I went and watched movies at growing up. It had really cool old architecture that I always wanted to see restored.

    Liked by 2 people

  33. My dad used to tell me about going to the movies as a kid in Houston, how grand and amazing theaters were and you felt big in those places, like a mini-adult sitting on the nice seats and the place was so clean. Now the multiplexes and all, its so impersonal…wish I had the chance to have his experience.

    Liked by 2 people

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