Cinema Theatre Association Archive

Leyton, East London

The Cinema Theatre Association maintains an extensive collection of material, built up over many years, charting the history and development of cinemas in Britain. From the earliest picture houses and theatre conversions through the era of the super-cinema, the post-war decline and cinemas recent revival and the multiplex of today. The archive is a unique resource of both changing architectural and social history.

The collection includes photographs, drawings, architectural plans, newspaper cuttings, magazine and internet articles, books, posters, programmes, industry documents and artefacts. Within the holdings are special collections of leading architects and cinema companies as well as personal research collections which represent a lifes work. We appreciate donations both large and small from our members, the general public as well as from within the industry.