| Description | The Picture House, Hebden Bridge, Wadsworth. Picture house built 1919 21.
'Cinema and flanking shops. 1919 21, with minor late C20 alterations. Brick with coursed rubble and ashlar facade, plus slate roofs. Street front has recessed central section reached up flight of 11 steps, with single giant Doric columns in antis with and pilasters supporting deep entablature. This entrance has original glazed tiles, glazed doors with contemporary frames, and to left original canted wooden box office with original glazing. Centre topped with entablature which continues either side over projecting side wings with rusticated quoins at the corners. Each side wing has a shop on each side with contemporary shop fronts, each with a recessed central doorway, topped with row of over lights and fascia boards. Above each section has 3 windows the central one with ashlar surround and pediment. The whole facade topped by deep plain parapet, the recessed central section has stepped centre originally topped by a flagpole.
INTERIOR has original foyer with original panelling and coved and decorated plaster ceiling and doors. Original staircase to left leads to balcony above with doorways and door cases. Auditorium retains most of its original Classical style decoration. Walls decorated with panels and pilaster strips between with decorative tops. Curved ceiling has simple panel decoration. Proscenium has panelled sides and moulded frame which has been removed on lower sections. In front is orchestra pit. Curved balcony has panelled facade. Seats replaced with thirties seating from another cinema'.
(English Heritage listed building description. Date listed 17/12/1999. http://list.english heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1379945. Web site accessed 05/11/2013).
The Hebden Bridge Picture House was the subject of a spot list request submitted by Calder Valley Councillor Stewart Brown to English Heritage in 1999. Peter Thornborrow (Senior Historic Buildings Officer, WYAS) produced a spot list request report in support of the of the process. Photographic images of the picture house are contained within the report.
The report describes the cinema as designed by architects Sutcliffe and Sutcliffe of Hebden Bridge who were responsible for many notable buildings in the town. The cinema was constructed by the firm Oldfield and Watson, also of Hebden Bridge. There is a detailed description of interior and exterior features. Thornborrow considered the cinema to be consciously designed to form a harmonious balance with the Hope Baptist Chapel dated 1857 which stands opposite (see PRN 11530). The picture house is largely complete and unaltered as built with a well decorated interior and still functioning both as a theatre and a public cinema. It is an interesting classical design but with stylish 1920s touches and still retains its recently refurbished ticket booth set under its portico. The building retains much of the original fittings and decoration. It is also of interest that the architect's plans have been discovered [ copies of the plans are contained by the report: Sutcliffe and Sutcliffe. c.1919. 'The Picture House, Hebden Bridge for the Thistle Home Estate Co. Ltd’]. Being built in the 1920s it was for silent films, the first talking not being shown until 1929, hence the orchestra pit. Its balcony is constructed of reinforced concrete, and is an early example of the use of this material. It was built before the construction of cinema chains in the 1930s, designed for the requirments of its local community and still serves it original purpose.
(Thornborrow, P.H. (WYAS). 1999. Report: 'The Picture House, Hebden Bridge. Spot list request'). |