Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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In the early 20th century, films were usually watched in dusty storefronts with benches or fold out chairs for seating. Balaban & Katz wanted to change that with the Central Park Theater in Lawndale. They enlisted Rapp & Rapp to create a movie palace—a democratic space where people of all classes could be entertained for a couple of hours for the price of a single ticket, on comfortable seating.#Chicago #architecture #CentralTheater

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