Douglas Auto Theatre Sign, circa 1955
Add to SetSummary
The first "auto movie theatre" opened in Camden, New Jersey, in 1933, but it took time to perfect the new technology. In the 1950s, a new market of families and teenagers embraced the informality and privacy of in-car movie-watching. This sign stood at the entrance to a drive-in theatre that held 800 cars when it operated between 1955 and 1985.
The first "auto movie theatre" opened in Camden, New Jersey, in 1933, but it took time to perfect the new technology. In the 1950s, a new market of families and teenagers embraced the informality and privacy of in-car movie-watching. This sign stood at the entrance to a drive-in theatre that held 800 cars when it operated between 1955 and 1985.
Artifact
Advertising sign
Date Made
circa 1955
Keywords
On Exhibit
at Henry Ford Museum in Driving America
Object ID
87.84.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Kalamazoo College.
Material
Steel (Alloy)
Aluminum (Metal)
Glass (Material)
Neon
Wood (Plant material)
Color
Pink (Color)
Green
Yellow
Blue
Red
White (Color)
Dimensions
Height: 10.416 ft
Length: 21.5 ft
Inscriptions
In neon, on front: DOUGLAS AUTO THEATRE Printed on left front (in blue stripe): Mulholland Sign Co. / Kalamazoo, Mich.
Share Anywhere
Use this Artifact Card to share this great find with others. From historic images to vivid descriptions, a record of rich detail is bundled inside a single card.
