Fonds F0727 - Empress Theatre fonds

The Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod, Alberta opened in 1912 as a franchise theatre of the Famous Players chain. It was build by J.S. Lambert who also constructed other prominent buildings in the town. Its first owner was J.B. Martin, and it had an orchestra pit and a seating capacity of 500. From its early days it was an important cultural centre for the area housing lectures, operas, political rallies, vaudeville shows, and movies. A balcony was added with the renovations of the late 1930s. The theatre was bought by Dan A. Boyle in 1938 who owned and managed it into the late 1950s. In 1982 it was declared a historic site, and one of the last remaining examples of early small town theatre architecture in Alberta. In 1987 it was bought by the Fort Macleod Provincial Historic Area Society, and as a part of the Fort Macleod Main Street project, was restored to its 1930s condition for films and live productions. In 1990 the Town of Fort Macleod bought it and the newly-formed Empress Theatre Society leased and operated it. For further information see "The Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod, Alberta"/ Marselle I. Jobs Thompson. -- University of Alberta : unpublished MA thesis, 1990; and Reign of the Empress: 1912-2012 : A History of the Empress Theatre, Fort Macleod, Alberta / Peter J. Scott. -- Fort Macleod : Centennial History Book Committee, 2012.