Interior view of an unspecified projection room of the Pictureville Cinema at the National Media Museum, Bradford, West Yorkshire, showing technical equipment and film reels

Date:: 1983- 2017

Location:: National Media Museum, Pictureville Cinema, Pictureville, Bradford; Show all locations

National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, Pictureville Cinema, Pictureville, Bradford

Picturehouse Cinema at the National Science and Media Museum, Pictureville, Bradford

National Science and Media Museum, Pictureville Cinema, Pictureville, Bradford

Reference:: NWC01/01/0890

Type:: Photograph (35mm Slide)

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Description

There are three separate cinemas within the National Science and Media Museum complex. The museum has been open on the site 1983 and is part of the Science Museum Group, it originally opened as the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, became the National Media Museum (2006) and then the National Science and Media Museum (2017).

The museum sits within the Wardley Centre, a complex built in 1967 and named after Bradford’s Engineer town planner and postwar reformer, Stanley Wardley. Originally two 19th century theatres, the Palace and Princes had stood at the site, but where demolished to make way for the reconfiguration of the town centre in the 1960s. Wardley Centre contained space for a new Princes Theatre, but this remained empty until 1983 when it was taken over by the museum. This space became an IMAX cinema, the first to be installed in the UK. A similar situation occurred at the adjacent Library Theatre, also opened in 1967. This also struggled upon opening and was also enveloped within the museum’s complex, where it became the Pictureville cinema.

A 1997 refurbishment of the museum saw a smaller theatre added to the space. This was known as the Cubby Broccoli cinema, named after the famous producer of the James Bond franchise. In 2014 a deal was struck between the museum and Picturehouse cinema chain to manage the three cinemas. This deal expired in 2019 and after which time the cinemas were renamed Pictureville Cinema. They remain open in 2020.

There are no dates with the original images ensuring, it is difficult to confirm under which era of the museum this image was taken. It is also unclear from which of the three cinemas this image was taken.

Content

This is part of the Series: NWC01/01 Norman Walley: Series of slides; within the Collection: NWC01 Norman Walley Cinema Collection

Rights

People & Organisations

Photographer: Walley, Norman

Keywords

20th Century Cinema, 20th Century Museum, 20th Century Civic Centre, Leisure And Recreation