Warren, Ohio
After photographing the Reynolds, I moved on to the city of Warren, OH. With a little over 40,000 population, the city, located 14 miles northwest of Youngstown and just 15 miles from the Pennsylvania border, has two up and running drive-in theaters. I got to the Elm Road theater around three in the afternoon. I'd been in touch with the owners by email and I had a great interview with the man who has been involved with the theater his whole life. (Interview material is being saved for "the book"). The Elm road has beautifully maintained mature plantings which not only look good but also provide needed protection from light pollution. It's in a busy commercial district with lots of traffic.
Warren, Ohio
There's playground equipment on a lawn in front of the main screen, and two more screens at the back of the field.
Warren, Ohio
I'd also been in touch with the owner of Sky Way theater, just a short drive from the Elm Road. We met around six o'clock as a threatening storm sky loomed. Another fascinating interview as the storm broke and the rains came down. Suddenly the rain stopped and the sun broke out below the clouds in the west. I raced out to the car and got two exposures with the 8x10 Deardorff, along with a lot of color digital captures before the clouds covered the sun again and scene went dark.
Warren, Ohio
I found a place to stay nearby, then returned at sunrise to the Elm Road to photograph the wonderful marquee in strong morning sunlight.
Warren, Ohio
2 comments:
It would be interesting to have Google Map links to see the geographical context... I just looked up the Elm Road theatre, and it really brought home how crowded/cramped in it is.
Derek, I'll check into that. Meanwhile, there is a DI-specific Google Map with the locations of all known DI theaters as of about five or six years ago. You can zoom in for a really close look. I found it, along with a GPS unit, really helpful on my September expedition compared to my big western DI trip back in 2002 without these conveniences.
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