Columbia Art House
- stephanie young photography
- Jul 1
- 2 min read
In 2021 I was in Asheville NC, browsing in one of the cute artsy studios in the River Arts District, when I spotted a book entitled The Art of Abandonment, by Walter Arnold. I'm always drawn to the old, worn-out, wabi-sabi-'layered-with-patina' look, but this was something more. There was something really familiar about the cover image. On closer inspection, I found it was The Columbia Art House, Paducah, KY, in all it's magnificent abandoned glory. The last time I was in it was in the early 1980s as it was sinking into decline. Seeing Arnold's book, I thought at the time, how I'd love to get back in there now with my camera.
The Columbia Art House opened its doors on April 18, 1927 as a vaudeville/silent film theater with the romantic comedy, 'IT', featuring Clara Bow and Antonio Moreno. It had pipe organs and an orchestra pit, and once even had horses on stage! As vaudeville popularity waned, it was transformed into strictly a movie house, but it maintained it's community prominance and even had some glamous Hollywood premiers.
It is a 12,500 square foot painted brick building with a neoclasical facade of white and blue terracotta tiles, Byzantine columns, and classical urns. In the 1950s it was renovated but instead of moving into the 'modern' theater look, the updates kept to what is known as the Skouras Style of architecture, with gigantic sweeping scrolls and flaring three-dimensional flourishes resembling waves. Heavy swags, plush curtains, heavy Art Deco and art Moderne, it's been called 'Streamline Meets Rococo'.
When the local mall opened a 10-screen theater in the early 1980s, the Columbia, along with most of Paducah's downtown, found it couldn't compete. Both were abandoned and in 1987 the doors of the theater closed permanently.
I've had the joy and pleasure to have been granted access to photograph the interior several times since my encounter with Arnold's book. And every time I see more layers of magnificence, just waiting to be revealed. The fire curtain has been restored, the asbestos has been abated, and the structure has been stabilized. Complete restoration WILL happen.
Most recently, the Paducah Photography Club spent an afternoon there. Some of the work produced that day is on exhibit and for sale at Pipers Coffee on Broadway, with all proceeds from sales going to the 'Save the Columbia' project. Below are some of my photos that aren't hanging at Piper's. Some are from earlier outings, some quite obviously influenced by my talented fellow photographers (as in...I sort of copy-catted them!), and some I'm not sure why I didn't print for the show. Hope you enjoy.
And if you like these, I have about 600+ more to show you.
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