In a Plea to Preserve Them, One Photographer Has Captured 1,200 American Movie Theaters and Counting

Article excerpt

Benita VanWinkle has spent over four decades photographing vintage movie theaters across all 50 states, amassing a collection of 1,200 images and counting. The photographer's work documents architectural treasures from cinema's golden age, ornate palaces with gilded lobbies, art deco facades, and hand-painted ceilings, many now threatened by neglect, demolition, or conversion into multiplexes. VanWinkle's mission extends beyond mere documentation; she frames her project as a preservation plea, capturing these theaters as a record of American cultural heritage before they vanish entirely. Her photographs serve as both artistic achievement and activist tool, raising awareness about the decline of single-screen movie houses that once anchored their communities.