Picture House Panoramas

Spanning grand movie palaces, beloved neighborhood cinemas, and contemporary multiplexes, Thomas Schiff’s photographic survey celebrates the enduring role of movie theaters in American public life. Using his signature panoramic camera, Schiff captures these buildings as vital civic spaces whose architecture reflects the communities they serve. Rather than documenting decline, the book highlights theaters that remain active in new and evolving ways—whether as cinemas, repurposed live performance venues, or cherished landmarks preserved through local advocacy. An introductory essay by film historian Ross Melnick explores the cultural history of the American movie theater, while a foreword by Barbara Miller of Museum of the Moving Image considers their lasting significance as places of collective experience. Together, text and images offer a compelling portrait of movie theaters as enduring centers of community, memory, and shared cultural life.