Auditorium 1922
Another photo of the front of the auditorium. Note the vast amount of hand crafted detail, almost all of it plaster, in the proscenium, the columns and across the ceiling. This photo was taken in 1922.

Auditorium side view
Again from 1922, this photo looks east across the auditorium and shows a number of ornamental and decorative features that were lost over the years. The ceiling fans, the ivy that drapes over the side walls and the small feathered birds that once looked down on the Theatre are no longer in place. However, the current restoration efforts will attempt to bring much of this ornamentation back.

Exterior 1922
This exterior photo of the Theatre and the office building, taken in 1922, shows the original vertical Orpheum sign in profile. The art deco marquee, first installed in 1940, has been reproduced and was lit for the first time on March 23, 2001.

Vestibule Box Office
Jack Webb stands guard over the ticket booth in this shot from 1952. During this time, the Orpheum was primarily a first-run movie house. The ticket booth will be restored as it appears here, though with modern amenities such as computer and fax lines.

In the ticket booth
An unidentified ticket taker smiles out from the booth (circa 1950). Sellout crowds for first run movies were common place and it was not surprising to see lines stretching out along Broadway.

The Theatre Bar
Circa 1930, these men enjoy a drink at the Orpheum Bar. The bar was actually a prop used to promote the movie shown on the poster in the background. Gentlemen were encouraged to remove their hats once they entered the Theatre proper.

Vestibule Box Office
Here is a view of the Vestibule Box Office from 1922, just after the Theatre opened. Notice the ornate patterned floor that was original to the Theatre. This floor was subsequently covered by the terrazo floor that you see today.