Wartime cinemagoing

[RFarmer]

Hello,

I'm currently researching and writing a book on wartime cinemagoing, and was wondering if anybody here had seen this photograph - of people queuing at a cinema at some point in the first year of the war - anywhere else. I am hoping to use the picture to illustrate my work, and have not been able to track down the copyright holder.

I would be very grateful for any help that anyone might be able to give me.

Thanks,
Richard

[Sorry for the small size of the image - I'm not sure how to make it larger: anyway, it shows three men in a queue at the box office, where a sign informs them that they will be informed of any air raid by means of an announcement from the stage.]

[Arfur Teacake]

If you're unaware of the picture archive companies then I reckon your first port of call would be The Imperial War Museum who might own it themselves? or give you a few pointers where to go next.

[RFarmer]

Thanks Arfur. Yes, I've checked the IWM, as well as Getty, Hulton, etc, as well as having a quick look through Picture Post and the Illustrated London News. I was wondering more if anyone had come across the picture in any already published books about wartime life or culture or cinema.

Richard

[Wilfried Mueller]

Hi there,

please have a look here: Flickr: star1950's Photostream

You could ask the woman which presents your photo here. good luck!

[RFarmer]

Thanks Wilfied. That's actually where I found the photo in the first place! I have written to the woman who runs that page, but she has not got back in contact. It is down on her page as having been from her personal collection, but I don't know if that means that it's a family photo (it seems unlikely - it looks like a professional shot to me) or one that she has found and uploaded. As I say, I'm just interested to find out if anyone has seen this photo elsewhere.

[Johned]

Good luck with your book RFarmer; don't quite know what info you are after but my main memory of being a schoolboy at the time was the "pictures" were full every night! Never mind the chance of the sirens sounding, you were not going to miss the latest film, come what may. At 7d and 6d respectively for the cheapest childs admission at our two local venues, the only real concern was, if it was an "A" picture, would some kind adult take you inside in time for film commencement after you had waited on the steps outside? My greatest regret was in not seeing Arthur Askey et al in "The Ghost Train". Due to enemy action, the film did not turn up for showing and it was many years later when I eventually saw it on TV! My dad was abroad in the army, my mum was on shift warwork and the cinema after school was the epicentre of my limited social life and entertainment.