There are times when I wish I was born about 2 decades earlier so that I could have seen buildings in Cincinnati that are lost to memory and pictures. When I see what the Albee theater once was, it is one of those times.
For those unfamiliar with the Albee, a brief history:
Design by Thomas Lamb, noted architect of many vaudeville and film theaters, The Albee was completed in 1927 at a cost of $4 million. It was considered the best of all the "movie palaces" in Cincinnati. It was located on the south side of Fifth Street, across from present-day Fountain Square where the Westin Hotel is.
The Albee received its name from the builder, E.F. Albee, noted vaudeville theater owner and a relative of the playwright, Edward Albee. The theater held 3,500 seats and the first film to be shown was "Get Your Man", starting Clara Bow. Live shows were also part of the Albee's schedule but this waned in the 1950's. Films still played until 1974.
While efforts were made to save the theater, the Albee met its demise in 1977 to make way for the Westin Hotel. Luckliy, portions were saved, including the organ which went to the Emery Theater and then to Music Hall. The iconic marble arch on the front of the building was eventually incorporated into the Convention Center.
I stumbled upon these great photos while researching another building and I just had to share. Most of these were taken from slides owned by the Cincinnati Preservation Association and digitized by UC's DAAP.
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| Demolishing the Albee |
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| Demolishing the Albee |
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| Proposed design by UC students that incorporated the Albee arch |
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| The Albee arch at the Convention Center - Source |
I hope to follow up in a few days with articles about the Albee from
the local newspapers. This one is a recent and great read -
Albee Theater Set Standard
