The Picture Palace was situated on the south side of East Street near the junction with the High Street. It was opened in 1911 in what had previously been the East Street Baptist Chapel. The exterior was altered with a gable front and a name board above a central pay box. It was an immediate success: a council inspector reported in September 1911 severe overcrowding with patrons standing in the gangways. Its popularity did not last, however, as better purpose-built cinemas arrived in the town. It had closed its doors by 1930. No trace of the building remains.
Picture Palace
Photograph, c.1912
Picture Palace×
Further reading:
Dream Palaces: Going to the Pictures in Southampton, by Bill White, p17-18. (HS/r)
Southampton Cinemas, by John C. Shepherd. (HS/r)
The Big Show: British Cinema Culture in the Great War 1914-1918, by Michael Hammond, p20. (HS/r)
Navigation
Browse A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y-Z
Get Involved
If you wish to
- suggest additional information for this entry
- suggest amendments to this entry
- offer your own research
- make a comment
then fill in the form on the Contact page.