Princess Theatre
738 N. Third Street,
Milwaukee,
WI
53201
738 N. Third Street,
Milwaukee,
WI
53201
2 people
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A Hinners Pipe Organ, ?/5, manual/rank, keyboards/sets of pipes was shipped 243 miles Northeast from Pekin, Illinois in 1909. This was a tracker organ which means that when the organist pressed the keys or pedals they were mechanically connected to the valves that allowed air to enter the organ pipes. Most organs have this done by electric action and electric valves so this is all connected by very fine electric wires .
Hinner’s Organ Company/Hinner’s & Albertsen Organ Company/Hinners & Fink Company/Perfection Organ Works, was at 125-131 Court Street, Pekin, Illinois, 41 miles West of Bloomington, Illinois. Hinners was founded in 1885 by John L. Hinners and Ubbo Albertson, later John’s son Arthur W. Hinners was the president. They built pianos, about 3,000 pipe organs, small parlor reed organs, huge church and at least 49 theatre pipe organs. Most production ceased in the late 1920’s. The last 10 years or so were spent just repairing instruments and replacing parts. The company stayed in business until about 1940.
Some records seem to show that a Barton Theater Pipe Organ might have been installed in the Princess?
Any info, comments or corrections on either ORGAN are always welcome!
My mother in law remembers going to the theater as a child and my husband remembers it later, when it was a porn theater. His mother has just found out that he attended this theater. I think the statute of limitations has just run out on this though!
In my early teens, my brother worked around the corner at the Esquire. Everytime I visited downtown for movies or shopping, I’d wait for the bus home across the street from the Princess. The lighted triple XXX marquee, the dark brick wall and the small glass door made the theater seem like forbidden fruit, at least to a 13 year old boy. Thanks for sharing the 1983 photo.
Does anyone know who the final operator of the Princess was? Or anyone who might have owned the property during its XXX days?
It takes a real squint to see the Princess in the extreme lower left bottom of that photo. The captioner here must have had high power magnification — or outside help!
Here is a 1946 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/mxmpu
Please let me know if you learn anything more about this theatre. Thank You. Jim Rankin =