A Peek inside Salem’s Historic Grand on 35mm film…
Salem’s Historic Grand Theatre - Salem, Oregon - Kodak Tri X Film Photography by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography
Last June I was out in Oregon doing some photography work. I love old theatre’s and Portland had a plethora of them! I’ve always enjoyed Salem, Oregon since my first trip there in 2000 so I was looking to see what was there in the way of old theatre’s and I was not disappointed!
The Grand Theatre looked so amazing on Google, so I had to take a day trip down to check it out myself. For the trip I took a Minolta XG-1 and shot some 35mm Kodak Tri X Film.
Salem’s Historic Grand Theatre - Salem, Oregon - Kodak Tri X Film Photography by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography
I parked a few blocks away because street parking was pretty busy that day, but that was fine because I wanted to explore around the historic downtown area of Salem as well. One of the super cool things about the experience I had at the Historic Grand, was as I was outside taking some photos, I met a guy from the theatre. Most of the time when I’m out photographing the old theatres, they are closed down tight. Whether that’s just the hours that I’m there, or sometimes they are just closed down.
I talked to him about the theatre and he shared with me some of the history of the theatre. It was originally built in 1900. The owners now have had it since 2015 and in talking with him, you can tell he has a real love for these old theatres. I asked if I could take a few photos inside and he let me come in and walk around to check it out and take some photos. I was ecstatic!
Inside Salem’s Historic Grand Theatre - Salem, Oregon - Kodak Tri X Film Photography by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography
Inside Salem’s Historic Grand Theatre - Salem, Oregon - Kodak Tri X Film Photography by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography
Inside Salem’s Historic Grand Theatre - Salem, Oregon - Kodak Tri X Film Photography by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography
Inside Salem’s Historic Grand Theatre - Salem, Oregon - Kodak Tri X Film Photography by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography
The inside was absolutely beautiful! I kicked myself for not having taken my Mamiya 645 instead as I was a bit limited I felt like with the Minolta. It was a new to me camera, and I was still giving it a test. But I’m definitely happy with how the photographs came out, I just wish they’d been on medium format for resolution.
If you’re ever in Salem though, definitely check out this historic place. It’s well worth it! You can check out their website and their socials to see what events are happening.
You can check out their website here.
Find them on Instagram - @salemshistoricgrandtheatre
Salem’s Historic Grand Theatre - Salem, Oregon - Kodak Tri X Film Photography by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography
