Title supplied by cataloger.; HABS documentation available at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/ca/ca3900/ca3948/data/ca3948data.pdf Located at 5176 East Whittier Boulevard in East Los Angeles, the Golden Gate Theater was built in 1927, designed by William and Clifford A. Balch, whose other notable contributions include the El Rey Theater on Wilshire Boulevard and the Fox Theater in Pomona. The Golden Gate Theater was designed as a playhouse and movie theater and was built in the Spanish Baroque Revival Churrigueresque-style replicating the entrance to the University of Salamanca in Spain. Originally, the theater was accessed by entrances into the courtyard of the historic Vega Building, an L-shaped retail and apartment building, which surrounded the theater. Damage from the 1987 Whittier earthquake caused the Vega Building to be deemed unsafe and later demolished, and left the 1,500 seat Golden Gate Theater vacant. Many battles followed over the preservation and re-development of the historic site. It is one of a few neighborhood movie palaces left in Southern California and is the only building in East Los Angeles listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2012, the building was re-opened and adapted for use as a CVS retail pharmacy. Detail view of the decorative vents built into the underside of the Golden Gate Theater balcony. Because there was no heating or air conditioning built into the theater, ventilation was provided through vents and openings in the side elevations. Years of being vacant have left the interior of the theater in disrepair and subjected to vandalism.
Type
Image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
Golden Gate Theater (East Los Angeles, Calif.) Motion picture theaters--California--East Los Angeles Theaters--California--East Los Angeles Auditoriums--California--East Los Angeles Architecture--California--East Los Angeles--Spanish influences Historic buildings--California--East Los Angeles Interiors--California--East Los Angeles Ventilation--California--East Los Angeles Moldings--California--East Los Angeles Graffiti--California--East Los Angeles East Los Angeles (Calif.) Historic American Buildings Survey Collection photographs Heritage Documentation Programs Collection photographs Balch, William G Balch, Clifford A
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
