Billed as "The Wonder Theatre" upon opening in March of 1921 Five Supreme Acts of Vaudeville - - - Salon Singers in "Moments Musical" -- Mae Cormack & Wallace "Back at the Seaside" -- Ray Snow & Narine in "You Pick 'Em" -- Joe Jenny Trio -- Cooke & Valdare, plus Douglas Fairbanks in "The Nut".

Construction of the theatre in 1920 - - The two larger photos above show the stress test of the theatre's balcony. Shown are 1,150 bags of Portland cement each weighing 100 pounds. The total weight is over 57 tons in a space of only 8 feet by 13 feet. That would mean if it were possible to get that many people in that small amount of space, the balcony would hold the weight of some 766 people each weighing 150 pounds.

This massive size balcony seated 1,200 people in plush comfort. A new type of construction technique used in the theatre, involved the use of steel and reinforced concrete. This meant that there are no supporting posts to disrupt the views on the main floor. The theatre was one of the finest in the state upon completion. The foyers were large enough to accommodate 1,000 people, and they were furnished with chairs, settees, library lamps, phone booths and even singing birds.

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Above photos from the archives of the Hammond Historical Society -- Calumet Room of the Hammond Public Library.
Source information from the Hammond Historicial Society.
Twentieth Century Time Capsule © 1999 HammondIndiana.com

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