Chicago History: The New Devon Theater

Assyrian American Association (2017-03-09 13-52-37a)

In the early 20th century, Chicago was known for its many movie theaters. Some closed quickly, a very small number are still in operation today. This is one of the former.

The New Devon Theater, located at 1816 West Devon Avenue in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood, was built in 1912 and opened in 1913. It served as a theater until 1917, when it succumbed to competition. The designer was Henry J. Ross. After the theater closed the building became a Ford dealership in 1923 and an American Legion hall in 1936. In the 1950s it was a store selling televisions and radios. In 1963 it became the home of the Assyrian American Association.

The photo was edited using ACDSee Ultimate 10.3. I adjusted the white balance and the lighting, cropped and boosted the contrast and vibrance.

Original photo and text © 2017 Gary J. Sibio. All rights reserved.