As the infrastructure of the United States continues to decay, and the aesthetic marvels of the Golden Age turn into the urban eyesores of the Modern Age, a sort of hobby-cum-discipline known as 'urban archaeology' has emerged. Self-dubbed urbanists are dedicated to the study and documentation of abandoned structures, from factories to fast food joints, that have been left behind by time, demographic shifts, and economic trends. The "dead malls" phenomenon is one well-known example of this, but as Andrew Boyd at WebUrbanist reports, it's not the only one.
Boyd brings us a list of eight abandoned theaters throughout the U.S., complete with photos, that illustrate not only the wonder of bygone design and architecture, but also the curiously beautiful condition of the theaters after they've been abandoned. From Hollywood's (allegedly haunted) Vogue Theatre to Buffalo, NY's gorgeous Sattler Theater, it's a compilation of the intentional beauty of design comparely with the accidental beauty of decay. A few of these structures are being restored, but most of them will be converted into condos or retail space, meaning that they have only a short time left to show us the glory they once held, even in a state of ruin.
(On a personal note, I was rather surprised to see Chicago's Village Theater on the list; when I moved away from the city a few years ago, the Village was very much still a going concern, albeit a dollar theater showing third-run films well past its glory days. Sic transit gloria kino...
