Guide to the Fulton Theater Records, 1934-1963 CTC.2000.01

Arrangement

Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Fulton Theater Records
Creator
Fulton Theater (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Collection Number
CTC.2000.01
Extent
19.5 Linear Feet (43 boxes)
Date
1934-1963
Abstract
The Fulton Theater showed major motion pictures and operated in downtown Pittsburgh during the 1930's through the 1980's. The materials in this collection consist of operational and business files that contain financial reports, promotional materials, ledgers, correspondence, box office reports, and other materials related to the operation of the theater.
Language
English .
Author
William Daw.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives & Special Collections
Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Business Number: 412-648-3232 (Thomas) | 412-648-8190 (Hillman)
Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist
URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections

History

The Fulton Theater was located in Pittsburgh on the corner of Sixth Street and Fort Duquesne Boulevard from 1930's-1995. The theater was originally called the Gayety Theater. Built in 1903, it ran for thirty years as one of Pittsburgh's foremost stage and vaudeville houses. In the 1930's, the theater was renamed the Fulton and became a full time motion picture theater. The theater was purchased by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust in 1990 and the Fulton was renovated and reopened in 1991. It was later renamed the Byham Theater through a naming right from the Byham family in 1995. The Fulton neon sign that had been displayed above the theater has been restored by the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg and is installed there as part of a theater exhibit.

Scope and Content Notes

This collection contains the records of the Fulton Theater during the years of 1934-1963, but the majority of the collection dates from 1938-1951. The correspondence and motion picture files make up the majority of the collection. Films that are particularly well documented are Disney's Fantasia, Lawrence of Arabia, and The Best Years of Our Lives. Separate statistics for tickets sold and labor hours were kept during the film runs at the Fulton. Fastasia payroll information is located with the other payroll information in Series II and the statistics for the film ticket sales are kept with the box office statements in Series III. The collection has been arranged into the following series. Additional scope and content notes are available at the series level.

Arrangement

Series I. Correspondence, 1938-1951

Series II. Theater Operations, 1934-1951

Series III. Film Companies and Box Office records, 1930-1963

Series IV. Movie Files and Promotional Materials, 1944-1963

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Acquisition Information

The collection was gifted to the University of Pittsburgh in two parts. In 1968, the first materials were given to the Archives Service Center. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust donated more materials in May of 2000. The Archives Service Center transferred the Fulton records that were in their possession to the Ford E. and Harriet R. Curtis Theatre Collection in 2005.

Preferred Citation

Fulton Theater Records, 1934-1963, CTC.2000.01, Curtis Theatre Collection, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Previous Citation

Fulton Theater Records, 1934-1963, CTC.2000.01, Curtis Theatre Collection, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh

Fulton Theater Records, 1934-1963, CTC.35, Curtis Theatre Collection, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh

Records of the Fulton Theater, 1962-1963, AIS 68:6a, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh

Processing Information note

This collection was processed by William Daw in 2005-2006.

Copyright

Property rights reside with the University of Pittsburgh. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Special Collections Department.

Related Material

Records of the Penn Theater, Pittsburgh, PA., 1927-1964, AIS.1968.06, Archives & Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Fulton Theater Scrapbook, 1940-1943, Scrapbook Collection, Curtis Theatre Collection, University of Pittsburgh

Separated Material

Items related to the Penn Theater or other Shea chain theatres have been removed from this collection. The Penn materials have been added to the Records of the Penn Theater. The other Shea materials might be assembled into their own smaller collection.

Subjects

    Corporate Names

    • Fulton Theater (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
    • Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

    Geographic Names

    • Byham Theater (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
    • Pittsburgh (Pa.) -- Social life and customs

    Other Subjects

    • Amusements -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
    • Theaters -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
    • Theater

Container List