About the Project

These papers explore the in-depth history of early movie-going in Fort Wayne through a single theater.  During Fall 2010, IPFW graduate students enrolled in COM 584 Historical/Critical Research Methods taught by Professor Steven Alan Carr are collaborating to find basic information related to Fort Wayne’s forgotten movie theaters, including locating any original images of them, their original whereabouts and what currently occupies its space.  Each individually-authored student paper explores some facet of a theater’s history based on this information.

The papers are designed to teach basic historical methodology.  Students are given a theater name, an exterior image of the the theater, and a location on a current map.  They then are required to locate and provide the proper citation for these images; use different kinds of primary sources to find additional information; and use secondary sources to help frame historical questions regarding the theater.  Some basic questions these papers address include: When was the theater built and by whom? How was the theater built, and what technologies did it incorporate? What were the first films shown, and who saw them?  Who supplied films to the theaters and how were the films shipped to and from there?  Where was the theater located, what was there before it was a theater, and what were significant characteristics of its neighborhood and changes that occurred to that neighborhood?  Who were the first audiences, how did they get to the theater, where did they come from to get to the theater, and where did they go after watching a film?

These papers use a variety of primary historical sources, including online image databases, newspaper accounts, advertising and publicity, Sanborn fire insurance maps, financial and court records.