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News & Events
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Oakland artist pays tribute to Grand's long, varied history Photographer creates CD of images from theater's past, present Posted in the Oakland Tribune on Tuesday, March 1, 2005 By Laura Casey Oakland — Artist Miron Murcury, a well-known personality in the Grand Avenue neighborhood, maintains an unmatched love affair with the historic Grand Lake Theatre. "Oh, I just love being here," Murcury exclaims as he stepped inside the 79-year-old building. He loves it so much he has dedicated years of his life to making two versions of a CD-ROM collection of photos highlighting nearly every nook and cranny of the former vaudeville theater. Titled "The Historic Grand Lake Theatre," the 79-page computer document contains more than 200 photographs of the building, both historical and contemporary. It begins with text and photos of the history of the theater as a premier entertainment icon in the area, opening in 1926, and ends with a short movie showing the theater roof sign glowing and blinking. Murcury is a historical film buff with an affection for Willis H. O'Brien, the Oakland man who designed and created King Kong and all the special effects in the original movie. In the 1980s he created a Kaiser Cen-ter Art Gallery exhibit highlighting O'Brien's work. He then turned his attention to the Grand Lake Theatre, working there as a restoration artist painting faux marble finishes in hallways and refinishing the wooden railing on the stately split staircase in the main lobby. "The things I get to do are just wonderful and beautifying," Murcury said of his work. The theater was designed by Reid Brothers, the same firm that designed the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco and the Oaks Theater in Berkeley. At the time the Grand Lake Theatre was built, several small theaters operated within Oakland. Over time, most have disappeared. "I don't think people know how special this building really is," Grand Lake Theatre manager Roger Brown said. Glass bead chandeliers hang from dome ceilings. Theater walls are covered with hand-painted wallpaper. A jeweled curtain from San Francisco's old Fox Theater hangs in the main theater. Murcury included pictures of these details in his CD. "It's nice that somebody's actually documenting this stuff," Brown said. "Miron is a unique person that cares about enjoying what is here and sharing that with other people." Murcury appears to have been present, with his camera, at all the theater's recent notable events. He was there in 2000 when the theater marquee was fired up after restoration. He shot photos of the theater's 75th birthday in 2001. He includes weddings, parties and opening nights in his CD. "The whole idea of this CD is not to show off. It's really to do something to share, at more than a glance, how wonderful the Grand Lake Theatre is," he said. Murcury sees the building as fragile, its graceful architecture threatened by the region's promise of devastating earthquakes. He said that is part of the reason why he created the CD. "They do not make buildings like this anymore," he said. "And I don't expect it to be here in another 50 years." The CD, which costs $20, is available at Walden Pond Bookstore on Grand Avenue. Oakland Tribune
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Related links: - Oakland Tribune |
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