What is the oldest cinema in the world?
Before people had easy access to films, television, or even recorded music, entertainment was much simpler. Most people relied on conversation, and maybe a piano if they were wealthy enough to have one. So imagine how astonishing it must have felt in the 1800s when moving images appeared, and soon after, cinema itself.
Entertainment used to be very different, largely because it was so rare. Centuries ago, amusement was mostly the privilege of the wealthy. Literacy itself was limited, books were difficult to obtain, and things like theatre tickets, gramophones, or musical instruments were even harder to access. People simply had fewer options for passing the time, whereas today we are surrounded by constant and easy access to entertainment, or at least distraction.
We take it all for granted; if you’re bored in the evening, there is always something to do, whether it be heading to a gig, watching TV at home, or heading to the cinema. The latter endures despite what streaming service CEOs might prefer. Still today, people flock to picturehouses in pursuit of inspiration, entertainment, or even just looking to feel something.
But it’s different, as with the sparsity back in the day came a new level of respect. When cinemas first appeared, with the first public film showing happening in Paris in 1895, the spectacle was so special that people would dress up for it. As the first cinemas opened their doors once projection technology was invented, the hoi polloi dressed in their finest to go watch the earliest black and white, silent projections.
As time and technology have moved far beyond that, making film screenings easier, better quality and more accessible to all, cinemas have changed too. Now, you can rock up in your pyjamas if you really want to, or head to one of the massive duplex locations that boast countless screens and seemingly never-ending seats, but as a relic of the past, some old spots remain.
What is the oldest cinema in the world?
As time has gone on, most of the oldest cinemas have closed up shop and new ones have popped up in their place; however, one of the oldest spots has survived.
In Washington County, the State Theatre started showing movies as soon as projection technology appeared. Previously called the Graham Opera House, it was originally a theatre for stage performances, but when movies became a thing, a lot of these spaces utilised their big stages for the purpose. This spot was one of the first, though, showing its first film in 1896. But in 1897, it was busy showing motion pictures and eventually fully switched sides, becoming a cinema full-time and changing its name to State Theatre.
It holds the world record as the oldest cinema, as it has remained open and functioning since then. Obviously, the technology has switched up, and the building has had several renovations and makeovers to make it more comfortable. No one wants to watch a four-hour-long Christopher Nolan epic on an old, hard chair, but you can still go to the State today looking for entertainment like those in the 1800s did.
