The Projectionist

by Kendall Messick, Brooke Anderson

Gordon Brinckle (1915-2007) seemed like an ordinary mana modest and reserved husband and father living in an ordinary 1950s-era home in Middletown, Delaware. Known around town as the night projectionist at the local movie theater, it was the unusual way he spent his days that eventually brought him attention. In his free time, Brinckle meticulously constructed a miniature version of a grand movie palace in his basement. The Shalimar, as he called it, was not only fully functional (with nine authentic movie seats, a projection booth with a 16-mm projector, numerous speakers, and a working organ) but was also lushly designed and decorated with an obsessive attention todetail. Brinckle's "picture palace of renown," as he referred to it, adapted various theater styles of the twentieth century, boasting a marquee that distinctly recalls the 1960s; an auditorium decorated in the "semi-atmospheric" style of the 1930s, bringing the outdoors in through the use of fake foliage and wildlife; and three opulent working curtains. When filmmaker and photographer Kendall Messick, who used to live across the street from the Brinckle family as a boy, became reacquaintedwith his former neighbor during a visit home in 2001, he knew he had to document the theater and its one-of-a-kind creator. In The Projectionist , Messick captures every detail of Brinckle's colorful fantasy world, including Brinckle's original artwork, architectural plans, drawings, and linoleum prints of imaginary movie theaters, ticket stubs, and usher uniform designs. An essay by curator Brooke Davis Anderson of the American Folk ArtMuseum looks at Gordon's work in the context of outsider art, and a foreword by artist, curator, and author Mark Sloandiscusses Messick's photographic work.

Genres: Art

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2010

Reviews

[Lauren G · Rating 5 out of 5]

the beautiful story of gordon brinkle, a projectionist by day and miniature theatre designer at night. he built 'the shalimar,' a 9-seat movie palace, in the basement of his suburban delaware home. messick's photographs do credit to the creator of the shalimar, and the book includes his blueprints and photographs of the late brinkle going about his routine. adorable, heartwarming, and quite magical.

[Kyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh how I wanted to love this book. One of my favourite publishers - Princeton Architectural Press - and a secret movie palace in a basement? Yes please! The pictures were okay but they over-dramatised what felt like a small, quiet intimate place to me - too showy, too dramatic and even the beautiful book seems too much. He also seems pleased to have pulled down the movie house and toured some small version of it but that just depressed me more.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent work. I'm interested to watch the accompanying film. This book is a marvelous remembrance of a man whose love for the theaters of the past led him to construct one in the basement of his 1950s Maryland ranch home. The photographs and small bit of text included in the book only enhance the experience. Well worth a look.

[Lesley Looper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a neat collection and representation of one man's dream come true--a movie theatre in his own basement! The photographs and illustrations are just fascinating! If you're a movie buff, see this book!