John Eberson
Encyclopedia
John Eberson was an American architect best known for his movie palace
designs in the atmospheric theatre
fashion.
Born in Czernowitz, Austro-Hungarian Empire (today Ukraine
), Eberson went to highschool in Dresden
and studied electrical engineering in Vienna
. He arrived in the United States in 1901 and at first settled in St. Louis
. There, while working for a construction company he designed his first theater, the Jewel, in Hamilton, Ohio
. A year later found him living in Chicago, and in 1926 he made his final move, to New York City
.
Eberson attained national, and even international acclaim for his atmospheric theatres, many of them executed in exotic revival styles, including Italian Renaissance
, Moorish Revival
and others. The first of these such theatres is considered to be the Orpheum in Wichita. "He specialized in depicting outdoor settings with no formal walls and made the whole auditorium a gigantic stage set that enveloped the whole audience."
Many of Eberson's later designs, some executed with his son Drew, were in the Art Deco
style. In all Eberson designed close to 100 movie palaces, located in dozens of states in the United States, including:
Others can be found in Caracas, Venezuela; Mexico City, Mexico; as well as in Perth
, Sydney and Melbourne, Australia.
A significant number of his around 500 buildings have however been destroyed, as redevelopment and changing taste came to consider the style dated.
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|Le Grand Rex
,Paris France
|Tampa Theatre
, Tampa FL
|The Louisville Palace
, Louisville KY
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1924, Orpheum Theatre, Tulsa, OK
1924, Ritz Theatre, Tulsa, OK
1930, Midwest Theatre, Oklahoma City, OK
Movie palace
A movie palace is a term used to refer to 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 opened every year between 1925 and 1930.There are three building types in particular which can be subsumed...
designs in the atmospheric theatre
Atmospheric theatre
An atmospheric theatre is a type of movie palace which has an auditorium ceiling that is intended to give the illusion of an open sky as its defining feature...
fashion.
Born in Czernowitz, Austro-Hungarian Empire (today Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
), Eberson went to highschool in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
and studied electrical engineering in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. He arrived in the United States in 1901 and at first settled in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. There, while working for a construction company he designed his first theater, the Jewel, in Hamilton, Ohio
Hamilton, Ohio
Hamilton is a city in Butler County, southwestern Ohio, United States. The population was 62,447 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Butler County. The city is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area....
. A year later found him living in Chicago, and in 1926 he made his final move, to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Eberson attained national, and even international acclaim for his atmospheric theatres, many of them executed in exotic revival styles, including Italian Renaissance
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe...
, Moorish Revival
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 the Romanticist fascination with all things oriental...
and others. The first of these such theatres is considered to be the Orpheum in Wichita. "He specialized in depicting outdoor settings with no formal walls and made the whole auditorium a gigantic stage set that enveloped the whole audience."
Works
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style. In all Eberson designed close to 100 movie palaces, located in dozens of states in the United States, including:
- 1915: The Paramount Theatre (Austin, Texas)The Paramount Theatre (Austin, Texas)The Paramount Theatre is a live theatre venue/movie theatre located in downtown Austin, Texas in the United States of America. The classical revival style structure was built in 1915...
, Austin, TexasAustin, TexasAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in... - 1921: The Majestic Theater (Dallas), Dallas Texas
- 1922: Orpheum, Wichita, KansasWichita, KansasWichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
- 1922: Indiana Theatre, Terre Haute, Indiana
- 1923: Majestic Theater, Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
(Eberson's first fully atmospheric theater) - 1924: Palace Theater, Gary, IndianaGary, IndianaGary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
- 1926: Olympia TheaterOlympia Theater and Office BuildingThe Olympia Theater and Office Building is a historic theater in Miami, Florida. It is located at 174 East Flagler Street. The original architect was theatre designer John Eberson, in his 'atmospheric' style, and extensive renovations in the 1970s were overseen by architect Morris Lapidus.On...
, Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaMiami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625... - 1926: Tampa TheatreTampa TheatreThe Tampa Theatre and Office Building is a historic U.S. theater and city landmark in the Uptown District of downtown Tampa, Florida. On January 3, 1978, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places....
, Tampa, FloridaTampa, FloridaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
; listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, 1978. - 1927: Riviera Theater, Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, NebraskaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
(now restored and renamed the Rose Theater). - 1927: State Theater, Kalamazoo, MichiganKalamazoo, MichiganThe area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
- 1927: Capitol Theatre, Flint, MichiganFlint, MichiganFlint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
- 1928: The Louisville PalaceThe Louisville PalaceThe Louisville Palace is a theatre, in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, located in the city's theater district, on the east side of Fourth Street, between Broadway and Chestnut Street. It has a seating capacity of 2,700 people and is owned by Live Nation...
, Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... - 1928: Uptown TheaterUptown Theater (Kansas City)The Uptown Theater is a historic theater located at 3700 Broadway in the Valentine neighborhood in the Midtown area of Kansas City, Missouri. As Uptown Building and Theatre, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979....
, Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties... - 1928: Stanley TheaterStanley Theater (Jersey City)The Stanley Theater is a theater venue near Journal Square in Jersey City, New Jersey.The theater opened to the public on March 22, 1928. Mayor Frank Hague attended the ceremonies that evening and, with the audience, was greeted on the screen by actress Norma Talmadge...
, Jersey City, New JerseyJersey City, New JerseyJersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay... - 1928: The Palace Theatre, Marion, OhioMarion, OhioMarion is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Marion County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus....
- 1929: Loew's Akron, Akron, OhioAkron, OhioAkron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, (now Akron Civic Theater) - 1929: Loew's Paradise Theater, The Bronx, New York, (one of the 5 Loew's Wonder TheatersLoew's Wonder TheatersThe Loew's Wonder Theatres were the five flagship movie palaces of the Loew's Theatres chain in New York City. These five lavishly designed theaters were built by Loew's to establish its preeminence in film exhibition in the metropolitan New York City area. All five theaters are still standing...
, which were Loew's flagshipFlagshipA flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
theaters in the New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
area) - 1929: Loew's Valencia Theater, Queens, New York, another of the 5 Loew's Wonder TheatersLoew's Wonder TheatersThe Loew's Wonder Theatres were the five flagship movie palaces of the Loew's Theatres chain in New York City. These five lavishly designed theaters were built by Loew's to establish its preeminence in film exhibition in the metropolitan New York City area. All five theaters are still standing...
- 1929: Paramount TheatreParamount Theatre (Anderson, Indiana)Paramount Theatre - The Anderson Paramount Theatre opened on August 20, 1929. At the time the Paramount Theater opened it was part of the Publix Chain of theaters, owned by Paramount Pictures . The theater was designed by the famous movie theatre architect, John Eberson...
, Anderson, IndianaAnderson, IndianaAnderson 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 the headquarters of the Church of God and home of Anderson University, which is... - 1929: State Theatre (Sydney)State Theatre (Sydney)The State Theatre is a heritage-listed theatre, located in Market Street, in the city centre of Sydney, Australia.The Sydney Film Festival is hosted there for two weeks each June, and has been there since 1974.-Description and history:...
with Henry Eli White - 1929: Majestic TheatreThe Majestic Theatre, San AntonioThe Majestic Theatre is San Antonio's oldest and largest atmospheric theatre. The theatre seats 2,311 people and was designed by architect John Eberson, for Karl Hoblitzelle's Interstate Theatres in 1929....
, San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,... - 1931: The Warner TheatreWarner Theatre (Morgantown, West Virginia)The Warner Theater is a historic Art Deco movie theater at 147 High Street in downtown Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. Opened June 12, 1931, it was designed by architect John Eberson, whose theaters included the since-demolished Colonial and Astor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the...
, Morgantown, West VirginiaMorgantown, West VirginiaMorgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is the county seat of Monongalia County. Placed along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area... - 1932: Le Grand RexLe Grand RexLe Grand Rex is the largest cinema, theater and music venue in Paris, with 2,800 seats. An atmospheric theatre, the cinema features a starred "sky" overhead, as well as interior fountains. The cinema is a landmark of Art Deco style architecture. It features the largest screen in Europe, called...
, Paris, France, as consulting architect to Auguste Bluysen - 1938: Lakewood Theater (Dallas), Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
- 1938: Bethesda Theater, Bethesda, MarylandBethesda, MarylandBethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
; listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1999. - 1938: Silver TheaterAFI SilverThe AFI Silver is a three-screen movie theater complex in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland, just north of Washington, D.C. in the United States of America. It plays both art-house and mainstream movies...
, Silver Spring, MarylandSilver Spring, MarylandSilver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and... - 1938: Schines Auburn TheatreSchines Auburn TheatreSchines Auburn Theatre is a historic theatre building located at Auburn in Cayuga County, New York. It is an outstanding example of the later Art Deco style of architecture in the Streamline Moderne vein designed by the famous theatre architect John Eberson...
, Auburn, New YorkAuburn, New YorkAuburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 27,687...
; listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 2000. - 1940: Oswego TheaterOswego TheaterOswego Theater, now known as Oswego 7 Cinemas, is a historic movie theater located at Oswego in Oswego County, New York. It was designed in 1940 in the Art Deco style and opened in 1941. The front features bands of yellow, red, and dark red brick that create broad horizontal and perpendicular...
, Oswego, New YorkOswego, New YorkOswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
; listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1988. - 1946: The Woodlawn Theatre, San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
Others can be found in Caracas, Venezuela; Mexico City, Mexico; as well as in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Sydney and Melbourne, Australia.
A significant number of his around 500 buildings have however been destroyed, as redevelopment and changing taste came to consider the style dated.
Gallery
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|Le Grand Rex
Le Grand Rex
Le Grand Rex is the largest cinema, theater and music venue in Paris, with 2,800 seats. An atmospheric theatre, the cinema features a starred "sky" overhead, as well as interior fountains. The cinema is a landmark of Art Deco style architecture. It features the largest screen in Europe, called...
,Paris France
|Tampa Theatre
Tampa Theatre
The Tampa Theatre and Office Building is a historic U.S. theater and city landmark in the Uptown District of downtown Tampa, Florida. On January 3, 1978, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places....
, Tampa FL
|The Louisville Palace
The Louisville Palace
The Louisville Palace is a theatre, in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, located in the city's theater district, on the east side of Fourth Street, between Broadway and Chestnut Street. It has a seating capacity of 2,700 people and is owned by Live Nation...
, Louisville KY
|}>
1924, Orpheum Theatre, Tulsa, OK
1924, Ritz Theatre, Tulsa, OK
1930, Midwest Theatre, Oklahoma City, OK