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The Picture House
Location: Gateshead
This building was originally a new connections chapel. During its life-time it had a number of uses and following the advent of moving pictures for a time became a picture house known locally as "the Gaffs". The audience sat on hard wooden benches and the silent movies were accompanied by a pianist.
As bigger and better cinemas developed within easy access to the village its popularity waned and it eventually closed down, becoming a builders workshop, as it was at the time of this photograph and later a funeral parlour. It fell into disrepair before being replaced by the present building in the early years of the current decade to carry on the same profession.
The foundation stones from the original building have been thoughtfully incorporated into the frontage to give a suitable reminder of its origins. The one shown in the picture reads "Jennie McGregor - 1856. The middle picture shows the building as it is today.
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