In February 2020, I was approached by Laura Mueller during the opening of the “America’s Finest Theatre: The Terrace” historic exhibit.  She told me about her father, Stanley D. Kloth, who had travelled around the Midwest in the early 1990s, photographing buildings for what would become his “ReLiving Main Street” collection.  Among the many photos that he had taken were exterior photos of dozens of theaters.  She asked if I would be interested in them, which of course I was.

 

I met with Laura and her mother, Doreen, later that month.  Mr. Kloth had passed a number of years earlier, unfortunately.  I spoke with them about the thoughts I had for the photos.  With their permission, I would display the theater photos in a special artist’s gallery on the America’s Classic Cinemas website.  The photos are a true embodiment of our mission, preservation of theaters through photography and memories.  While looking through the photos, I was quite excited by what they contained.  There were some pictures of theaters I had on our “to visit” list, pictures of some that we had already visited (some of which look quite different now), and some that are no longer with us.

 

America’s Classic Cinemas is proud to present Stanley D. Kloth’s “ReLiving Main Street: The Cinemas” Collection.  We are honored to be able to share with the world the photos taken by a man I view very much as a kindred spirit, seeking to preserve history for later generations through photography.  His insight has opened a door to the past, and given us a glimpse of theatrical history from 25 years ago.  I hope you enjoy this gallery.

 

Sincerely

David Leonhardt

Founder, America’s Classic Cinemas