.................................................................................. . .........................................................................................114 West Lexington Street ................................................................................ Baltimore City, Maryland ( Downtown ) ,,...........................................................................................................................................................

................................................. .. ..............John Kilduff's Great Grandson, Xavier, visiting the front of the old Keiths Theatre, where John Kilduff worked for years ! ................... ............... ..................Keith's facade -  : Kilduffs / Thomas Paul photo

..................... A large empty lot shows where once the Keith's Theatre stood. The theatre operated from the mid 1910's to the mid 1950's. My grandfather, John  Kilduff spend many of his theater days at the Keith's, and also worked at the Century up the street. He also worked somewhat at the New Theatre.       2002 T.Paul Photo ................................................. ...........................................An Ad for the Keith's Theatre done by John Kilduff.           Keith's was one of the big theaters in downtown Baltimore, situated one block to the west of the Century Theatre, and one block to the east of the New Theatre. The neon marquees of those three theaters, and a few of the smaller movie houses across the street from the Century made Lexington Street Baltimore's theatre row, if ever there was one. True,  we also had Kernan's Corner on Howard Street, but that group of theaters was developed as a entertainment section, while the theaters on Lexington Street would compete with each other over the years, until each theatre would finally close, with two being torn down, and one, just barely, standing standing, but being put to other uses. .............................. 1920's view of the Keith's Theatre. The facade of the old theatre still stands, but the entire theater section of the building has been razed many years ago.               John Kilduff Collection .............................. The old entranceway to the theatre is now a wig shop. By looking at this picture, you would never guess it was once the entranceway to one of Baltimore's top theaters. The marquee came down long ago, and the entranceway has since been redone.                       2003 T.Paul Photo ..................................... ......................................................Keith's Theatre Promotion shot - John Kilduff Collection

.............................................   Just above the entranceway of the building you can see the letter "A", which I would guess stood for Albee/Keiths'. The theatre chain owned the theater for years, and you have to wonder if any old Keith's movie material is still in an old office behind those windows. The supports for the vertical marquee are still attached to the front of the building as well. If  not for these clues, the building would be impossible to spot.                2003 T. Paul Photo. ............................. ............................................. The facade of Keith's hasn't changed much over the years. I doubt however that the people who pass the old building front have any idea the history that the area has.                                     2003 T. Paul Photo. .......................... ................................ Above the theatre was a ballroom, the Danse de Jardin. According to my grandfather, there were emergency fire shoots that lead to the street, and every so often a ballroom patron would have a bit much to drink and end up on the street below after taking a ride on the shoot. John Kilduff Collection. ......................

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