ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Photographers document decaying US movie palaces

publication · 2026-05-11

Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre's photographic series captures abandoned movie theaters across the United States and Canada, including the Meserole Theater in Brooklyn, the Metropolitan Opera House in Philadelphia, and the Runnymede Theater in Toronto. The images, taken between 2007 and 2017, document the decay of once-grand cinemas such as the Loew's 46th Street in Brooklyn, the State Theater in West Orange, the California Theater in Huntington Park, the Loma Theater in San Diego, the Daytona Theater in Daytona Beach, the Center Theater in Boston, the Spooner Theater in the Bronx, the Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, the Empire Theater in New York, the Girard Theater in Philadelphia, and the Rivoli Theater in Berkeley. The series highlights the architectural grandeur and subsequent neglect of these cultural landmarks.

Key facts

  • Photographers Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre documented abandoned movie theaters.
  • The series includes theaters from 2007 to 2017.
  • Locations span New York, Pennsylvania, California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Ontario.
  • Theaters captured include Meserole, Metropolitan Opera House, Loew's 46th Street, Runnymede, State, California, Loma, Daytona, Center, Spooner, Paramount, Empire, Girard, and Rivoli.
  • Images show interior decay and architectural details.
  • The work was published by The Guardian in 2026.
  • The series focuses on US and Canadian cinemas.
  • Many theaters were originally built as movie palaces.

Entities

Artists

  • Yves Marchand
  • Romain Meffre

Institutions

  • The Guardian

Locations

  • Meserole Theater, Brooklyn, New York
  • Metropolitan Opera House, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Loew's 46th Street, Brooklyn, New York
  • Runnymede Theater, Toronto, Ontario
  • State Theater, West Orange, New Jersey
  • California Theater, Huntington Park, California
  • Loma Theater, San Diego, California
  • Daytona Theater, Daytona Beach, Florida
  • Center Theater, Boston, Massachusetts
  • Spooner Theater, Bronx, New York
  • Paramount Theater, Brooklyn, New York
  • Empire Theater, New York, New York
  • Girard Theater, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Rivoli Theater, Berkeley, California
  • United States
  • Canada

Sources