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81 Little Chaplins
Chaplin look-alike contest at the Liberty Theatre in Bellingham, November 5, 1921. (Photo by James Wilbur Sandison, courtesy Whatcom Historical Museum)
81 Little Chaplins

81 Little Chaplins

On November 5, 1921, in Bellingham, Washington, a group of 81 young boys gathered in…
November 7, 2025
Regulating Early Nickelodeon Theatres
Postering gone wild at Seattle's Tivoli Theatre, ca. 1914. (Photo by Asahel Curtis, courtesy University of Washington, Special Collections, Negative No. A.Curtis29853)
Regulating Early Nickelodeon Theatres

Regulating Early Nickelodeon Theatres

The increasing number of nickelodeon theatres opening in the 1906-1909 timeframe may have been a…
September 22, 2025
A Charming Country for Pictures
A Charming Country for Pictures

A Charming Country for Pictures

In January 1915, the trade paper Moving Picture World ran an uncredited promotional article touting…
August 31, 2025
The Highs and Lows of Being a Small-Town Exhibitor
Late '70s/early '80s view of the Elma Theatre, which originally opened as the Graham Theatre in 1927. (Courtesy Cinema Treasures website)
The Highs and Lows of Being a Small-Town Exhibitor

The Highs and Lows of Being a Small-Town Exhibitor

The picture business could be a tough one for rural exhibitors, many of whom routinely…
October 4, 2025
Crybaby
Crybaby

Crybaby

An innovative new feature in Seattle moving picture circles was debuted in the summer of…
July 27, 2025
The Circuit Theatre in downtown Seattle opens on March 28, 1908
Crowds at Seattle's Circuit Theatre, ca. 1916. (Photo by Pierson and Co., Courtesy University of Washington, Special Collections, Negative No. UW1631)
The Circuit Theatre in downtown Seattle opens on March 28, 1908

The Circuit Theatre in downtown Seattle opens on March 28, 1908

On March 28, 1908, the Circuit Theatre opens at 908 Second Avenue in downtown Seattle.…
July 22, 2025
Minting Money. Literally.
Minting Money. Literally.

Minting Money. Literally.

Back in 2001 I contributed an article to HistoryLink about a proposed Congressional bill in…
July 18, 2025
The John Hancock of Movie Men
Produced by Fred Quimby
The John Hancock of Movie Men

The John Hancock of Movie Men

The name Fred Quimby may not ring a bell, but you certainly know him.  (Well,…
July 6, 2025
Fight the Power
The Empress in Chewelah, ca. 1914. ("Empress Theater, Chewelah, Wash.," Moving Picture World, 4 April 1914, p. 66)
Fight the Power

Fight the Power

The rise of motion picture entertainment came at a time when large swaths of rural…
July 6, 2025
Watching the Stars Under the Stars
Undated photo of an airdome theatre in Cedarhurst, NY, originally opened in May 1899.
Watching the Stars Under the Stars

Watching the Stars Under the Stars

For the most part the picture business in the Northwest followed the exhibition methods seen…
July 6, 2025
My initial mea culpa. There will be others.
My initial mea culpa. There will be others.

My initial mea culpa. There will be others.

So the great thing about Northwest Picture Show as a web project rather than a…
July 6, 2025
Meet the Author…
Meet the Author…

Meet the Author…

Wondering who in their right mind would publish something like Northwest Picture Show?  I’m a…
July 6, 2025