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Campbeltown, 26 Hall Street, The Picture House Cinema

Cinema (20th Century)

Site Name Campbeltown, 26 Hall Street, The Picture House Cinema

Classification Cinema (20th Century)

Alternative Name(s) The Wee Pictures

Canmore ID 144129

Site Number NR72SW 110

NGR NR 72089 20360

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/144129

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Digital Images

View from south west.
View from south west.View from south west.View from south west.Interior view of the Picture House Cinema, Campbeltown, showing auditorium from north east.Ground floor. Stair to balcony from south west.Auditorium. Stage and screen from balcony to north.Interior view of the Picture House Cinema, Campbeltown, showing projection room with film reels and editing desk.Campbeltown, 26 Hall Street, Cinema.
General view from South-East.View of the Picture House Cinema, Campbeltown, from east.Elevated view from west.Auditorium from west.Ground floor. Foyer kiosk. Detail of 'automaticket' machine.Auditorium. Stage and screen from balcony to east.Interior view of the Picture House Cinema, Campbeltown, showing projection room with film projector.View of the Picture House Cinema, Campbeltown, from north.Campbeltown, 26 Hall Street, Cinema.
View from South-East.View of the Picture House Cinema, Campbeltown, from north east.Building to rear from north west.Interior view of the Picture House Cinema, Campbeltown, showing auditorium seating and 'little house' to right of screen.View from east.Campbeltown, 26 Hall Street, Cinema.
General view from North-East.Auditorium seating and balcony.Auditorium seating and 'little house' to left of screen.Auditorium. 'Little house' to right of screen.Auditorium. Balcony seating and curved wall of projection room.Auditorium. Detail of roof ventilator.Ground floor. Stair to office from north east.Ground floor. Foyer kiosk.Ground floor. Corridor at rear of auditorium  from south east.Projection room.  Film projector.1st floor. Office from south.Campbeltown, 26 Hall Street, Cinema.
General view from South-East.Campbeltown, 26 Hall Street, Cinema.
General view from North.View from north east.Cafe from north east.Ground floor. Foyer kiosk. Detail of 'automaticket' machine.Ground floor. Foyer. Entrance doors.1st floor. Glazed area above foyer from south east.1st floor. Offices behind 'little house' from south west.View from south west.Interior view of the Picture House Cinema, Campbeltown, showing auditorium from stage to south west.Auditorium seating.Auditorium. 'Little house' to left of screen.View of the Picture House Cinema, Campbeltown, from north east.

Administrative Areas

  • Council Argyll And Bute
  • Parish Campbeltown
  • Former Region Strathclyde
  • Former District Argyll And Bute
  • Former County Argyll

Summary Record (20 February 2012)

One of Scotland's oldest cinemas, particularly important as one that has survived as a working cinema and with an 'atmospheric' interior.

Designed by A V Gardner, a well known cinema architect, it opened in May 1913. Its three storey curved frontage houses the projection box at the top level, the gallery below and entrance at ground level. The use of coloured tiles and the two elliptical windows give the building a very attractive frontage, suitable for a seafront location.

Sound equipment was added in 1931 and Gardener recalled in 1935 to remodel the interior in the 'atmospheric' style popular at the time. The two 'buildings' on either side of the screen, known as the 'wee houses', were added at this time. One, a simplified Hispanic church frontage and the other somewhat Alpine timber framed frontage, actually house the Manager's office and a storeroom.

There have been minor alterations since 1935, but the remarkably intact cinema is now attempting to raise money for a major restoration in line with its centenery in 2013.

RCAHMS (CAJS) 2012.

Archaeology Notes

NR72SW 110 72089 20360

The Picture House [NAT]

OS (GIS) MasterMap, April 2010.

Architecture Notes

Campbeltown, 26 Hall Street, Cinema.

Sources: Campbeltown Town Council

Dean of Guild: Plans

DC1/9 176 23 Nov 1938

Cinema Hall Street for Messrs. George Green Ltd., Glasgow.

John Fairweather and Son, architects, Glasgow.

Campbeltown, 26 Hall Street, Cinema.

Sources: Campbeltown Town Council

Dean of Guild: Plans

DC1/9 103 11 Sept 1912

Picture theatre for Hall Street forthe Picture House Campbeltown Ltd.

Albert V Gardner, architect, Glasgow.

(Undated) information in NMRS.

Activities

Photographic Survey (11 May 2006)

Photographed on spec by the Listed Building Area Survey, Argyll upgrade programme.

RCAHMS (CAJS) 2012/

Watching Brief (1 June 2015 - 30 May 2017)

Between 2015 and 2017 a suite of archaeological investigation was undertaken at Campbelltown Picture House in response to a planning condition placed on the planning consent by Argyll and Bute Council, following advice from West of Scotland Archaeology Services. The work initially comprised of a short desk-based study and archaeological monitoring of preliminary construction activity in 2015. In mid-2016 it became apparent that construction work had restarted without archaeological monitoring in place, and a short phase of trial trenching was further agreed with WoSAS to address this issue and ensure appropriate archaeological investigation of the site. Trial trenching and monitoring demonstrated that an 0.35m thick layer of c 20th century infill and levelling deposits existed across the site, cut through by multiple water, gas and sewage pipes. Approximately 12 m from the southern end of the site a small section of walling was uncovered, aligned east-west. The wall was c 0.5 m in width and stood to a height of approximately 0.5 m. It was comprised of sub rectangular faced blocks, dressed on either side and bonded with lime-mortar, abutted to the south and north by further infill material. Subsequent monitoring of service trenches confirmed the wall extended the west. A seawall visible on the First Edition Ordnance Survey from 1865 matches well with the location of the recorded structure, and is probable that the wall and associated deposits relate to the infilling and extension of the shoreline at some point between 1840 and 1865.

Information from Brandanii Archaeology and Heritage (P Duffy) 2017

OASIS ID: brandani1-346265

References

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