In a generation where film entertainment tends to be provided by downloading and streaming online, (Netflix and BBC I Player being prime examples), a trip to the cinema has become a rarity for many. Individuals are more likely to stay in the comfort of their own homes and select their entertainment by the click of a button, instead of going out to spend heightened prices at the nearest Odeon or Cineworld.
However, once upon a time, a trip to the cinema meant so much more than just to witness a screening of the latest box office. It was about escapism, families and friends getting together to receive the prime source of entertainment they could get after long, gruelling days of work.
The Glasgow Film Festival has put two years worth of research into an exhibition that will present some of the most prominent and nostalgic memories of Glasgow’s cinema-going culture and playhouses from the past eighty years. The title “Jeely Jars and Seeing Stars” is in reference to “Jam Jar Cinema” culture where a “J’eely Jar” could be exchanged for admission into Glasgow’s Cinemas. It also refers to big talking points in Glasgow’s entertainment scene such as “Beatlemania” and the city being visited by Hollywood royalty such as Elizabeth Taylor.
Taking place in the Glasgow Room at the Mitchell Library, the exhibition provides photographs, playhouse uniforms, vintage cinema equipment such as projectors, playhouse boards and plywood cut- outs of famous Disney characters. There is also screenings of archive footage and interviews with individuals re-visiting their fond memories of playhouse culture. The exhibition also provides headphones where visitors can listen to interviews in more detail and discreetly. Visitors can also write down their own earliest memories of going to the cinema, which will then also be featured in the exhibition.
There will also be events screening on behalf of the exhibition. These will include: Cinema –Going in Glasgow Through The Ages (Thursday 19th February, 18:30); Exploring Glasgow’s Cinema History (Wednesday 25th February, 14:30); and Early Cinema Talk (Saturday 21st February, 14:00)
Free entry and open to all ages, it is an opportunity to explore history and resonate nostalgic memories of cinema culture.
Exhibition is taking place from February 12th till February 28th in the Glasgow Room in the Mitchell Library, North Street, G3 7DN.
Opening Hours
Monday-Thursday: 9:00-20:00
Friday & Saturday: 9:00-17:00
Sunday: Closed
Joanna Gifford
(Image Credit) http://www.liveforfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/glasgow-film-theatre-500×333.jpg
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