Shot of the Month

Photographic love letters to the architectural wonder of 30s cinemas

hilip Butler mines a relatively narrow but rich seam in his photography, documenting Great Britain’s inter-war architecture. Amongst these ageing structures lie what is left of the country’s first steps into the Modernist movement. Through their progressive design, these buildings are simultaneously part of our heritage while portraying an optimistic future.

For his new book, Philip focused on one particular example of these structures. Between 1928 and 1939,

POscar Deutsch wowed the British public with one of the most extraordinary estates of cinemas ever built, inspired by the Streamline Moderne style. Deutsch named them Odeons: alluring neon-clad beacons of escapism, glamour and affordable luxury during a period of depression and rising international tensions.

The future was not kind to some Odeon cinemas of this era. Faced with growing challenges in a rapidly changing society increasingly captivated by TV and home entertainment, many of these huge structures struggled to remain viable. Despite being recognised as architecturally important now, countless former Odeons have long since met with the wrecking ball, while others continue to fight for survival.

Philip travelled the country to capture what remains of Deutsch’s groundbreaking empire in the 21st century. From dazzling restorations to decaying shells, from sympathetic reconfigurations to careless alterations, the photographs highlight the varying fortunes of each building.

This annotated comprehensive series of photographs has been collected together in Odeon Relics. An essay by architectural writer Jason Sayer introduces the book, looking into the birth of the Odeon empire and the creation of its iconic picture palaces.