Picture Palaces and Flea-pits - 80 Years of Australians at the Pictures

This is a second-hand copy of the book Picture Palaces and Flea-pits - 80 Years of Australians at the Pictures by Simon Brand.

Condition: This is a used book in good condition. The dustjacket has wear with creasing and sun fading to the spine - see photos. The dust jacket has now been covered in a non-adhesive PVC cover for its own protection. This is simply folded in place and is easy to remove without damaging the jacket.

Publisher: Dreamweaver
Year: 1983
ISBN: 0949825034
Format: Hardback with dustjacket
Pages: 271 (with 300+ photos)
Condition: Used (Good)

From the dustjacket:

Here is a book which re-creates the grand days of the picture palace - the days when going to the pictures was an event to be savoured and remembered for days afterwards. It is a history of the people who rented the local hall and screened fifteen-minute, one-reel films to astounded audiences in the 1900s; the people who travelled across the country screening in small town after small town, the people who began to see that the public wanted comfort and a high standard of films; and the people who were prepared to exploit their role of showman for all it was worth. In the years between 1920 and 1960 going to the pictures was a regular event, even a ritual. Here we tell the story of just what it was like in the years before television invaded the home when mum and dad had regular weekly bookings at the local cinema and the kids attended the Saturday matinee every week. When visits to the grand city theatres were birthday treats or a reward for something well done. Or just for the sinful pleasure of a great night out. 'Picture palaces and flea-pits' remembers a world which has well and truly gone - a time when life was simpler and values were readily defined. It is a celebration of the days when a visit to the pictures was the event of the week.