Thomas White Lamb (May 5, 1870 – February 26, 1942) was a Scottish-born, American architect. He was one of the foremost designers of theaters and cinemas of the 20th century.
Born in Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom, Thomas W. Lamb came to the United States at the age of 12. He studied architecture at Cooper Union in New York and initially worked for the City of New York as an inspector. His architecture firm, Thomas W. Lamb, Inc., was located at 36 West 40th Street in Manhattan, New York.[1]
Lamb achieved recognition as one of the leading architects of the boom in movie theater construction of the 1910s and 1920s[citation needed]. Particularly associated with the Fox Theatres, Loew's Theatres and Keith-Albee chains of vaudeville and film theaters, Lamb was instrumental in establishing and developing the design and construction of the large, lavishly decorated theaters, known as "movie palaces", as showcases for the films of the emerging Hollywood studios.[citation needed]
As early as 1904, Lamb was credited with renovations for two existing theaters in the city: the Weber and Fields' Broadway Music Hall at 1215 Broadway, and the Dewey Theater on East 14th Street, the latter owned by Tammany Hall figure "Big Tim" Sullivan.[2] His first complete theater design was the City Theatre, built on 14th Street in 1909 for film mogul William Fox. His designs for the 1914 Mark Strand Theatre, the 1916 Rialto Theatre and the 1917 Rivoli Theatre, all in Times Square, set the template for what would become the American movie palace.[citation needed]
Among his most notable theaters are the 1929 Fox Theatre in San Francisco and the 1919 Capitol Theatre in New York, both now demolished. Among his most noted designs that have been preserved and restored are the B.F. Keith Memorial Theatre in Boston (1928) (now the Boston Opera House), Warner's Hollywood Theatre (1930) in New York (now the Times Square Church), the Hippodrome Theatre (1914) in Baltimore, and the Loew's Ohio Theatre (1928) in Columbus, Ohio. Among Lamb's existing Canadian theaters are the Pantages Theatre in Toronto (1920) (now the Ed Mirvish Theatre).[3] and Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres. The Cinema Treasures website, which documents the history of film theaters, lists 174 theaters designed by Lamb's company.
During the last ten years of his practice, Lamb's associate was the architect John J. McNamara.[4] After Lamb's death, McNamara continued as an architect of theaters under his own name. McNamara was responsible for renovating some of Lamb's older New York theaters, and among his original designs was one for the 1969 Ziegfeld Theatre in Manhattan, which replaced Lamb's original building.
Selected theater designsedit
United Statesedit
Interior of B.F. Keith Memorial Theatre, Boston, 1928 (1970)
The Sanderson Centre, Brantford, Ontario, 1919; auditorium restored in 1990, currently a performing arts centre
Capitol Theatre, Hamilton, Ontario, 1920; 103 King Street East, Hamilton all but lobby demolished in 1973;[11] now vacant after Buttinsky's Bar and Wing Joint closed
In 1920, Lamb designed for himself a private summer home in the Adirondacks in the village of Elizabethtown, New York. The house, which is still extant as a residence, is situated on the Boquet River. The eight-bedroom manor, referred to today as Cobble Mountain Lodge, is a shingle and cobble stone design marked by the inclusion of a stone turret.
Referencesedit
^"THOMAS W. LAMB, 71; A NOTED ARCHITECT". New York Times. February 27, 1942.
^""Big Tim's" Theater to Have Improvements". New-York Tribune. 6 Aug 1904. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
^Pound, Richard W. (2005). Fitzhenry and Whiteside Book of Canadian Facts and Dates. Fitzhenry and Whiteside.
^Dunlap, David W. (May 9, 1988). "John J. McNamara, an Architect And Theater Designer, Dies at 90". New York Times.
^. Archived from the original on 2012-03-20. Retrieved 2011-03-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Ontario Heritage Trust Loew's Yonge Street and Winter Garden Theatres
thomas, lamb, other, people, named, thomas, lamb, thomas, lamb, disambiguation, thomas, white, lamb, 1870, february, 1942, scottish, born, american, architect, foremost, designers, theaters, cinemas, 20th, century, lamb, 1926bornmay, 1870dundee, scotland, unit. For other people named Thomas Lamb see Thomas Lamb disambiguation Thomas White Lamb May 5 1870 February 26 1942 was a Scottish born American architect He was one of the foremost designers of theaters and cinemas of the 20th century Thomas W LambLamb in 1926BornMay 5 1870Dundee Scotland United KingdomDiedFebruary 26 1942 aged 71 New York City New York United StatesNationalityAmericanAlma materCooper UnionOccupationArchitectPracticeThomas W Lamb IncorporatedBuildingsFox Theatre San Francisco 1929 Madison Square Garden 1925 Contents 1 Career 1 1 John J McNamara 2 Selected theater designs 2 1 United States 2 2 Canada 2 3 India 3 Residential architecture 4 References 5 External linksCareer editBorn in Dundee Scotland United Kingdom Thomas W Lamb came to the United States at the age of 12 He studied architecture at Cooper Union in New York and initially worked for the City of New York as an inspector His architecture firm Thomas W Lamb Inc was located at 36 West 40th Street in Manhattan New York 1 Lamb achieved recognition as one of the leading architects of the boom in movie theater construction of the 1910s and 1920s citation needed Particularly associated with the Fox Theatres Loew s Theatres and Keith Albee chains of vaudeville and film theaters Lamb was instrumental in establishing and developing the design and construction of the large lavishly decorated theaters known as movie palaces as showcases for the films of the emerging Hollywood studios citation needed As early as 1904 Lamb was credited with renovations for two existing theaters in the city the Weber and Fields Broadway Music Hall at 1215 Broadway and the Dewey Theater on East 14th Street the latter owned by Tammany Hall figure Big Tim Sullivan 2 His first complete theater design was the City Theatre built on 14th Street in 1909 for film mogul William Fox His designs for the 1914 Mark Strand Theatre the 1916 Rialto Theatre and the 1917 Rivoli Theatre all in Times Square set the template for what would become the American movie palace citation needed Among his most notable theaters are the 1929 Fox Theatre in San Francisco and the 1919 Capitol Theatre in New York both now demolished Among his most noted designs that have been preserved and restored are the B F Keith Memorial Theatre in Boston 1928 now the Boston Opera House Warner s Hollywood Theatre 1930 in New York now the Times Square Church the Hippodrome Theatre 1914 in Baltimore and the Loew s Ohio Theatre 1928 in Columbus Ohio Among Lamb s existing Canadian theaters are the Pantages Theatre in Toronto 1920 now the Ed Mirvish Theatre 3 and Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres The Cinema Treasures website which documents the history of film theaters lists 174 theaters designed by Lamb s company Aside from movie theaters Lamb is noted for designing with Joseph Urban New York s Ziegfeld Theatre a legitimate theater as well as the third Madison Square Garden and the Paramount Hotel in midtown Manhattan citation needed Lamb died in 1942 in New York City at the age of 71 His architectural archive is held by the Drawings and Archives Department of Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University citation needed John J McNamara edit During the last ten years of his practice Lamb s associate was the architect John J McNamara 4 After Lamb s death McNamara continued as an architect of theaters under his own name McNamara was responsible for renovating some of Lamb s older New York theaters and among his original designs was one for the 1969 Ziegfeld Theatre in Manhattan which replaced Lamb s original building Selected theater designs editUnited States edit nbsp Interior of B F Keith Memorial Theatre Boston 1928 1970 nbsp Pitkin Brooklyn 1928 2010 5 nbsp Tivoli Washington DC 1924 2005 nbsp The United Palace Theater formerly Loew s 175th Street Theatre New York 1930 2009 nbsp Interior of the United Palace Theater 2007 nbsp Lincoln Theatre Lincoln Road South Beach Miami Beach Florida 1936 nbsp Palace Theater Waterbury Connecticut 1922 2016 Academy of Music New York City 1927 B F Keith Memorial Theatre Boston Massachusetts 1928 Capitol Theatre New York City 1919 Capitol Theatre Port Chester New York 1926 Cort now James Earl Jones Theatre New York City 1912 6 Embassy Theatre New York City 1925 Eltinge 42nd Street Theatre New York City 1912 Fenway Theatre Boston 1915 Fox Theatre San Francisco California 1929 Franklin Square Theatre Worcester Massachusetts 1927 Hippodrome Theatre Baltimore Maryland 1914 Hippodrome New York City 1923 redesign 7 Keith Albee Theatre Flushing Queens New York 1928 Keith Albee Theatre Huntington West Virginia 1928 Keith Albee Palace Theatre Columbus Ohio 1926 Keith Albee Palace Theatre Stamford Connecticut 1927 Lincoln Theatre Miami Beach Florida 1936 Loew s 72nd Street Theatre New York City 1930 Loew s 175th Street Theater New York City 1930 Loew s and United Artists Ohio Theatre Columbus Ohio 1928 Loew s Grand Theatre Atlanta Georgia 1932 redesign 8 Loew s Midland Theatre Kansas City Missouri 1927 Midway Theatre Forest Hills New York 1942 Loew s Pitkin Theatre Brooklyn New York 1928 5 Loew s State Theatre Playhouse Square Cleveland Ohio 1920 Loew s State Theatre Now the TCC Roper Performing Arts Center Norfolk Virginia 1926 9 Loew s State Theatre Times Square New York City 1924 Newark Paramount Theatre Downtown Newark Newark New Jersey 1920s Loew s State Theatre New Orleans Louisiana 1926 Loew s Theatre New Rochelle New York 1925 Loew s State Theatre Now the Landmark Theatre Syracuse New York 1928 Madison Square Garden New York City 1925 Madison Theater Albany New York 1929 Mark Hellinger Theatre now Times Square Church New York City 1930 Mark Strand Theater New York City 1914 Maryland Theatre Hagerstown Maryland 1915 Municipal Auditorium Birmingham Alabama 1924 Ohio Theatre Playhouse Square Cleveland Ohio 1921 Orpheum Theatre Boston Massachusetts 1915 redesign Palace Theater Waterbury Connecticut 1922 Poli s Majestic Theatre Bridgeport Connecticut 1922 Poli s Palace Theatre Bridgeport Connecticut 1922 Pythian Temple Manhattan 1927 the spacious theater the building once housed is gone the facade remains Proctor s 58th Street Theatre New York City 1928 Proctor s 86th Street Theatre New York City 1927 Proctor s Theatre Schenectady New York 1926 Reade s State Theatre New Brunswick New Jersey 1921 Regent Theatre New York City 1913 Rialto Theatre New York City 1916 Ridgewood Theatre Ridgewood New York 1916 Rivoli Theatre New York City 1917 Stanley Theatre Utica New York 1928 State Theatre Uniontown Pennsylvania 1922 Strand Theatre Lakewood New Jersey 1922 Tivoli Theatre Washington DC 1924 Victoria Theater New York City 1917 Warner Theatre Torrington Connecticut 1931 Warner s Hollywood Theatre New York City 1930 Ziegfeld Theatre New York City with Joseph Urban 1927 Canada edit nbsp Lobby of Capitol Cinema in Ottawa Ontario Canada 1920 demolished 1970 nbsp Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres double decker vaudeville theatres Toronto Ontario 1913 1914 10 nbsp The Canon Theatre now Ed Mirvish Theatre Toronto Ontario 1920 Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres Toronto 1913 The Sanderson Centre Brantford Ontario 1919 auditorium restored in 1990 currently a performing arts centre Capitol Theatre Hamilton Ontario 1920 103 King Street East Hamilton all but lobby demolished in 1973 11 now vacant after Buttinsky s Bar and Wing Joint closed Capitol Theatre Windsor Ontario 1920 currently a performing arts centre 12 Pantages Theatre Toronto Ontario 1920 Uptown Theatre Toronto Ontario 1920 demolished in 2003 India edit nbsp Metro Cinema Mumbai India nbsp Metro Cinema Kolkata Calcutta 2010 Metro Cinema Mumbai Maharashtra 1938 Metro Cinema Kolkata Calcutta West Bengal 1935 Currently being renovated Residential architecture edit nbsp Thomas W Lamb Residence In 1920 Lamb designed for himself a private summer home in the Adirondacks in the village of Elizabethtown New York The house which is still extant as a residence is situated on the Boquet River The eight bedroom manor referred to today as Cobble Mountain Lodge is a shingle and cobble stone design marked by the inclusion of a stone turret References edit THOMAS W LAMB 71 A NOTED ARCHITECT New York Times February 27 1942 Big Tim s Theater to Have Improvements New York Tribune 6 Aug 1904 Retrieved 2 November 2021 Pound Richard W 2005 Fitzhenry and Whiteside Book of Canadian Facts and Dates Fitzhenry and Whiteside Dunlap David W May 9 1988 John J McNamara an Architect And Theater Designer Dies at 90 New York Times a b Cinema Treasures Brooklyn Morrison William 1999 Broadway Theatres History and Architecture trade paperback Dover Books on Architecture Mineola New York Dover Publications p 82 ISBN 0 486 40244 4 Morrison p 82 Cinema Treasures Home tccropercenter org Archived copy Archived from the original on 2012 03 20 Retrieved 2011 03 07 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Ontario Heritage Trust Loew s Yonge Street and Winter Garden Theatres Archives of Ontario Archived 2003 12 27 at the Wayback Machine The Capitol Theatre and Arts Centre Archived 2013 04 01 at the Wayback MachineExternal links editCinema Treasures List of theatres designed by Thomas W Lamb Thomas W Lamb works in the collection of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum Gray Christopher Streetscapes Thomas W Lamb s Theaters An Architect for Stage and Screen Wired New York October 5 2008 Thomas W Lamb Architecture on Google Maps Thomas W Lamb and John J McNamara architectural records 1895 1989 held by the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library Columbia University Lamb Thomas W fonds R12543 at Library and Archives Canada Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Thomas W Lamb amp oldid 1215496144, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
