My grandfather, Bill Schnell worked as custodian at both the Madison Avenue and Hippodrome theatres after he retired from the Cleveland police force. He got a hand-carved table and 4 chairs that were imported from France in 1907 for the opening of the Hippodrome and were in the lobby for most of its years. Some of the original gilding is very faint on 2 of the chairs but the table and other 2 chairs my grandmother had refinished. I can furnish pictures if anyone is interested. I have fond memories of the Madison and spent most of my time there between the ages of 11 & 16 because my grandfather got me in free and I got free popcorn. Two of the movies I saw there were Cleopatra & The Sun Also Rises. I remember old women doing knitting & crocheting in the audience as they watched the movie. I wondered how they did that. Now I know because I crochet at movies whenever I go. I enjoyed reading all the posts.
My grandfather, Bill Schnell worked as custodian at both the Madison Avenue and Hippodrome theatres after he retired from the Cleveland police force. He got a hand-carved table and 4 chairs that were imported from France in 1907 for the opening of the Hippodrome and were in the lobby for most of its years. Some of the original gilding is very faint on 2 of the chairs but the table and other 2 chairs my grandmother had refinished. I can furnish pictures if anyone is interested. I have fond memories of the Madison and spent most of my time there between the ages of 11 & 16 because my grandfather got me in free and I got free popcorn. Two of the movies I saw there were Cleopatra & The Sun Also Rises. I remember old women doing knitting & crocheting in the audience as they watched the movie. I wondered how they did that. Now I know because I crochet at movies whenever I go. I enjoyed reading all the posts.