Photo courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives
Parks Canada and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada have commemorated the national historic significance of Kaplan & Sprachman Architects as a national historic event and the Eglinton Theatre as a national historic site.
A special ceremony was held in Toronto, Ontario, with members of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, members of the Kaplan, Sprachman and Eglinton families, and Dynamic Hospitality and Entertainment Group.
Between 1929 and 1965, Harold Solomon Kaplan (1895-1973) and Abraham (Abe) Sprachman (1894-1971) designed hundreds of movie theatres across Canada. The Kaplan & Sprachman firm was one of nation?s most prolific, creating numerous noteworthy designs ranging from flagship movie palaces to small-town cinemas. Their buildings featured the Moderne style, with flowing streamlined surfaces and neon-lit marquees. By using the newest finishes and the latest engineering and film technologies, they invited thousands of Canadians into the fantastic world of the ?Golden Age? of cinema. Their design for Eglinton was a departure from theatre-inspired aesthetic, instead incorporating the newest trends of architectural thought and practice. The structure is one of the best surviving examples of the Art Deco style in Canadian theatre design. Opened in 1936, its towering sign, aerodynamic shapes, and colourful neon lights beckoned filmgoers into a sophisticated interior whose sleek curved li...