Dream Palaces: A history of the Ultimate Picture Palace and early cinema in Oxford
When the Oxford Picture Palace (now the Ultimate Picture Palace) opened in 1911 it was Oxford’s first purpose-built ‘electric theatre’. The technology of projecting moving images on to a screen was still in its infancy, but the ‘cinematograph’ had become wildly popular and a wave of new cinemas quickly followed, offering thrilling entertainment to both Town and Gown. In a 27-year period no fewer than ten new cinemas opened. This talk introduces audiences to this fascinating aspect of Oxford’s social history.
“Great delivery, fine visual (and audio) content, painstaking research and detail; amusing, informative, fascinating.“ Bruce Hugman, Writers in Oxford, March 2025.
Contact me on 01865 242760 or liz@lizwoolley.co.uk to book this talk.