"Nickelodeon Theaters and Their Music," by Q. David Bowers. Published in 1986 by The Vestal Press, Vestal, NY. Printed in hard cover with dust jacket and in soft cover, 212 pages with hundreds of black-and-white photographs and advertisements. The book measures 11-1/4 inches (28.5 cm) high by 8-11/16 inches (22 cm) wide.

Text from the publisher's catalog reads as follows:

"At long last you can read about the innocent days of the American movies, 1900 to 1915, in a superb 212-page book, filled with nostalgic scenes of early movie houses, portraits of silent film stars, and information on the player pianos and organs which entertained millions across the land.

This ...book is the FIRST serious pictorial study of our early movie showplaces where for 5 or 10 cents one could be entertained by silent films, illustrated songs, and vaudevillians. These pioneer theaters were often little more than store fronts with fancy façades filled with kitchen chairs. Yet even with a primitive projector and only a piano for sound, these early structures delighted the masses long before radio and TV. Q. David Bowers, historian and film enthusiast, offers his finest work to date, a book which will be enjoyed by everyone interested in films and film history."

CONTENTS:

    Author's Preface

    Reel I       Nickelodeon Theaters

    Reel II     Theater Music

    Appendices
            Recent Developments of Organ Building by Robert Hope-Jones
            Wurlitzer Theater Instruments (Listing and Descriptions)
            Farny Wurlitzer Reminisces, July 6, 1964

    Bibliography
    Index

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