2:00 Oakland Theaters: A Pictorial History
Presentation and Booksigning by Jack Tillmany and Jennifer Dowling
In this special presentation, authors Jack Tillmany and Jennifer Dowling offer highlights from their recent book Theatres in Oakland, a vivid pictorial account of the history of motion picture exhibition in the city. Drawing on Tillmany's personal archive collected during his thirty-year career in cinema management, the richly illustrated program features never-published vintage views as well as images seen in the book. These images recall the era when Oakland had an energetic downtown that attracted moviegoers to its many theaters. The book and presentation consider both modest neighborhood theaters and lavish movie palaces, tracing the city's theater history from its beginnings in the 1870s, through its apex in the two decades before World War II, when some three dozen movie theaters operated in the city, up to the present day. Photographs, programs, advertising, and handbills spanning more than a century, along with Tillmany and Dowling's informative commentary, bring this rich history to life.
Theatres in Oakland is available in the Museum Store for $19.99; purchase a copy at the screening and receive a 10 percent discount!
