The Garfield Center for the Arts celebrates it’s 90th anniversary on October 25th with a lecture and book-signing with author Amy Davis and her book, Flickering Treasures: Rediscovering Baltimore’s Forgotten Movie Theatres. The Garfield has undergone many transformations in the last ninety years. The New Lyceum and The Prince Theatre are so engrained in local history that people frequently come into the theatre and share their memories of the space as it used to be.
As we remember our own history, Davis will take us on her photographic journey through many of Baltimore’s incredible 129 theatres, from 1896-2017. About the project, Davis writes: “In 2008, I embarked on a hunt for Baltimore’s forgotten movie theaters. Many were forlorn ghosts, unrecognizable but still standing on faded streets in every corner of the city. My search led me to 72 theaters, each entreating me to reveal its history. Flickering Treasures unspools these stories, decade by decade, through the voices of filmgoers, movie exhibitors and theater employees. Their recollections about the magic of film, the business of movie presentation, and neighborhood loyalties bring each theater back to life. A broader narrative of one American city, Baltimore, is revealed through the social, cultural and architectural prism of its movie theaters.”
Davis, an award-winning Baltimore Sun staff photographer since 1987, brings her artistic eye and photojournalistic perspective to this homage to Baltimore. Amy received her BFA from The Cooper Union in New York City. At her first newspaper job at a weekly in Brooklyn, NY, Davis climbed to the top of the Brooklyn Bridge twice. This balancing act prepared her for the hazards of shooting inside decaying theaters and leaning precariously over rooftops for the perfect shot. After seven years at The Record in northern New Jersey, Amy headed south to Baltimore, and a rewarding career at The Sun covering politics, education, breaking news, social issues and features.
This event is co-sponsored by Washington College’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience. The Bookplate will have a table in the lobby and will be selling copies of Flickering Treasures for purchase that evening.
Tickets are $10 general admission, and the event begins at 7pm on Thursday, October 25th. To purchase tickets please visit www.garfieldcenter.org, call 410-810-2060 or stop by the Garfield Center box office at 210 High Street in Chestertown.
Flickering Treasures represents the real success of the Garfield. That our community has sustained a small performing arts center, that the doors are open, the lights are on and that we have events almost every weekend of the year with growing audiences is a tribute to the dedication of theatre staff and volunteers alike. How lucky we are to have this historical gem in our community. Here’s to the next ninety years!
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