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The Case:
Is it possible that a theater in the small town of Baraboo, Wisconsin, could have been the country's first great movie palace?
The exquisite theater, was built by circus impresario and local resident, Al Ringling, as a thank-you to the town that had always supported him. It was designed in 1915 by Chicago architects C.W. and George Rapp, and is a masterpiece in the style of the great French opera houses.
But at the time Baraboo had a population of less than a thousand.
Why was such an ornate theater erected in such an obscure location, and how has it stayed relevant throughout the years?
The History Detectives enlist the help of the Theatre Historical Society of America to solve the mystery of this grand edifice.
Season 1, Episode 2
Detective:
Elyse Luray
Detective:
Gwen Wright
Location:Baraboo, Wisconsin
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Comments
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- Submit your StoryDo you have an object from an Emerging Modern America?
- Latest CommentIt turns out that this collage was sold last fall: http://www.worthpoint.com/wort... I wonder if it would be possible to contact the buyer by way of the auction house about getting a print made. (9 months ago)
- Twitterremember this investigation with @TukufuZuberi @elyseluray Tonight they reunite! Let us know your thoughts! @PBS http://t.co/4KMnc27K (1 year ago)
- FacebookCongrats on your exhibit, TZ! Here's a Washington Post article about the exhibit, everyone, and the great story TZ and Elyse did on his "Our Colored Heroes" story. http://tinyurl.com/mzpuyo8 http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/investigation/our-colored-heroes/ (9 months ago)