New Christmas cards feature the Quaker Cinema
Christmas cards and signed prints featuring the historic Quaker Cinema are now available at Bloom’s Printing in Dennison, Dayspring Christian Bookstore and Alley Cats in New Philadelphia.
Christmas cards and signed prints featuring the historic Quaker Cinema are now available at Bloom’s Printing in Dennison, Dayspring Christian Bookstore and Alley Cats in New Philadelphia. Christmas cardsarepainted by local artist Christy Bloom.
They also are available online at www.artistchristybloom.etsy.com. Cards are $20 for a pack of 20 cards with all proceeds going toward Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. Corporate imprinting and larger quantities are available by calling Bloom’s Printing at 740-922-1765.
The Quaker Cinema opened Nov. 1, 1940, at a cost of $100,000 to build. It became the 54th addition of the Shea Theater group, which extended from New Hampshire to Southwestern Ohio.
William Gillam managed the theater, and Ray L. Hickman acted as district representative for the Shea interests in Ohio. The Quaker Cinema, located where it still stands today on West High Avenue, held two shows on opening night at 7 and 9 p.m. and entertained a combined crowd of almost 1,600.
The Shea group named the theater in honor of New Philadelphia’s high school athletic teams. The football team and band would be guests of the theater the following week to view “Knute Rockne — All American.”
The grand opening was presented with a flourish. Spot lights lined the curb and illuminated the building. Traffic jammed the street in front of the theater, and the band was scheduled to march from the junior high school to the theater and present a serenade.
Each woman attending the show received a rose. Following the second show, dignitaries moved to the dining room of the Hotel Reeves for a celebratory buffet meal.
Many floral bouquets sent from well-wishers near and far including the Capital Motion Picture Supply Corporation of New York, The Marsh Wall Product Company of Dover, The Endres Floral Company, Wendling Brothers Company of Dover, the Gus Sun Booking Exchange of Springfield and the Gustave Hirsch Electric Company of Columbus decorated the Quaker.
The Quaker was remodeled in 1970, changing to a white faux brick facade. It operated until June 1991. It reopened in fall 1997, showing second-run movies. In 2013 it began to once again show first-run movies after the closing of Regal Cinema in New Towne Mall. The restoration of the exterior was started in 2014 when the white facade was removed and the vintage yellow and green steel-sheet tiles with baked-on enamel coating were again exposed.