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
- Council Argyll And Bute
- Parish Campbeltown
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Argyll And Bute
- Former County Argyll
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.
NR72SW 110 72089 20360
The Picture House [NAT]
OS (GIS) MasterMap, April 2010.
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.
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
