The Picture House opened with a
special matinee to raise funds for the Lord Mayor
of London Appeal for the survivors and relatives
of those lost in the RMS Titanic disaster a few
days previous. The cinema officially opened at 7:00
pm that evening with a full programme - admission:
3d, 6d and 1/-.
The original cinema was the brain-child
of Victor Cox, a sculptor and monumental stonemason,
and was built at what is the western end of the
existing site. It seated 200 people, had mirrored
double doors and hanging baskets.
The projector was gas illuminated
but improvements followed during the next twelve
months with the installation of tip-up seating and
a music licence.
In mid 1913 the building was enlarged
to seat 389, a sliding roof was installed and electricity
was connected (the first in a public building in
Clevedon) without missing one night's show.
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