Edisonia Hall
Encyclopedia
Edisonia Hall was a generic name for exhibition halls that displayed the various inventions of Thomas Alva Edison's company. These included the phonograph
, the Vitascope
, the Kinetoscope
and other such devices.
The Edisonia Hall opened by Mitchell Mark
and Moe Mark
in Buffalo, New York
in the Ellicott Square Building
on October 19, 1896, had the distinction of hosting a Vitascope Theater (or "Theatre"). This was the first known dedicated, purpose-built motion picture theater in the world. The theater was referred to in newspapers of the day (Buffalo Express, Buffalo News, and others) as Vitascope Theater, Vitascope Hall, and the Electrical Theater.
The majority of the first program of films were Lumiere
Films obtained through Pathe Freres. In its first year of existence, more than 200,000 people visited to view motion pictures projected on a screen. The theater remained open for nearly two years, longer than any other early motion picture theater known.
On November 25, 2007, the Buffalo News published an article by Mark Sommer confirming the historical significance of this theater.
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
, the Vitascope
Vitascope
Vitascope was an early film projector first demonstrated in 1895 by Charles Francis Jenkins and Thomas Armat. They had made modifications to Jenkins patented "Phantoscope", which cast images via film & electric light onto a wall or screen...
, the Kinetoscope
Kinetoscope
The Kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition device. Though not a movie projector—it was designed for films to be viewed individually through the window of a cabinet housing its components—the Kinetoscope introduced the basic approach that would become the standard for all cinematic...
and other such devices.
The Edisonia Hall opened by Mitchell Mark
Mitchell Mark
Mitchell Mark aka Mitchell H. Mark was a pioneer of motion picture exhibition in the United States.-Biography:...
and Moe Mark
Moe Mark
Moe Mark was the brother of Mitchell Mark. Together they opened the first known purpose-built motion picture theater in the world, Vitascope Hall aka Vitascope Theater in Buffalo, New York, and the Mark Strand Theatre in New York City. They founded an important chain of theaters in the United...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
in the Ellicott Square Building
Ellicott Square Building
The Ellicott Square Building is an office complex in Buffalo, New York, USA. It was designed by Charles Atwood of D. H. Burnham & Company, and completed in May, 1896. At the time of its completion, it was the largest office building in the world...
on October 19, 1896, had the distinction of hosting a Vitascope Theater (or "Theatre"). This was the first known dedicated, purpose-built motion picture theater in the world. The theater was referred to in newspapers of the day (Buffalo Express, Buffalo News, and others) as Vitascope Theater, Vitascope Hall, and the Electrical Theater.
The majority of the first program of films were Lumiere
Lumière
-Characters:*Lumière , one of the two main characters of the 2002 anime series Kiddy Grade*Lumiere, a character in the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast-Places:*Lumière, a restaurant in Vancouver, Canada...
Films obtained through Pathe Freres. In its first year of existence, more than 200,000 people visited to view motion pictures projected on a screen. The theater remained open for nearly two years, longer than any other early motion picture theater known.
On November 25, 2007, the Buffalo News published an article by Mark Sommer confirming the historical significance of this theater.