Photo-of-the-Week #153 The Strand Theater, Georgetown, South Carolina, February 2013

On a road trip in February 2013 to the South Carolina Low Country, my travel buddy, Dave, and I passed through historic Georgetown, South Carolina. It was around lunchtime and we decided Georgetown was a great place for lunch. After lunch we decided to stroll through the historic downtown Main Street. And that's where we came across this great example of a time past, The Strand Theater in the Art Deco style.

Historic downtown Georgetown is a terrific example of a well preserved (and likely restored) Main Street of a pretty little southern town. Georgetown is a waterfront city with a long boardwalk that runs parallel to the road on the rear side of the stores and businesses on the waterside of the street.

The movie house was virtually always a focal point of entertainment in cities and towns, large and small, before television became a standard fixture in the home. Many old theaters also had stages capable of flying scenery and sets and presenting live theatrical and concert performances. The Art Deco architectural style was popular during the '20s through the '40s. It's a shame that most of the early movie theaters are either derelict, have been converted to other uses or have been demolished. These theaters are another part of Americana that is disappearing. Their "Cinema 8, 10, 12 and 16" replacements are devoid of any charm or character. True, they have 7.1 surround sound and high definition video projection systems. What they don't have is any charm, character, decor, personality and ambiance.

I will be the first one to say that I appreciate and embrace modern technology. But, I also have to admit that at my age, I lean toward the nostalgia of what, to me, was a kinder and gentler time.