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About Dreamland Cinema, Margate
Dreamland cinema opened on the 22nd of March 1935, showing Richard Boleslawski’s The Painted Veil, starring Greta Garbo. The programme also included a Laurel and Hardy support feature and an organ recital by Lewis Gerard.
Dreamland cinema in Margate was built as part of the Dreamland amusement park by the remarkable John Henry Iles, who also developed the nearby Lido at Cliftonville. Designed by Iles, Julian Leathart and WF Granger, the cinema was inspired by the modernism of German cinema design. The building also influenced Oscar Deutsch and his many ODEON cinemas.
The history of Dreamland cinema is tied to the story of the attached amusement park. Owned by three generations of the Iles family until the late 1950s, it passed through many hands on its way to its current owners, Thanet District Council.
At times a cinema, bingo hall, slot machine arcade and an all-you-can-eat buffet, like many relics of the 1930s, it has had a bumpy ride, even scheduled for demolition and redevelopment in 2003 – not to mention the arson attacks on the park in 2008 and 2014.
When the screen finally went dark in November 2007, the venue gave itself a poetic send-off: a farewell gala screening of the 1957 comedy - The Smallest Show on Earth, a fitting salute to the quirks of operating a grand, ageing picture house.
Now a Grade II* listed building, it has only recently (since 2016) seen significant renovation to return it somewhat to its former glory. Gaining period-appropriate replica doors & signage and the removal of years of grime and over-painting. It is a testament to the members of the Save Dreamland Campaign that the building has been saved for others to enjoy.
In this artwork, I have attempted to restore the building to its opening night in 1935. Working with limited historical records, my own photographic record, two archive photographs from 1935 and 1955, and the original opening night programme, I hope you will forgive any subtle anachronisms.
Name: Dreamland Cinema
Architects: Julian Leathart & W. F. Granger
Opened: 22nd March 1935
First Film: The Painted Veil
Closed: 1st November 2007
Final Film: The Smallest Show on Earth
Original Capacity: 2,050
Heritage Status: Grade II* Listed
Style: Art Deco, Modernist, Streamline Moderne
All prints are presented on Hahnemühle German etching Giclée paper. Frames are solid wood from sustainable sources, manufactured to high standards.
Sizes available:
A4 - 21×30cm, 8×12"
A3 - 30×42cm, 12×17"
A2 - 42×59cm, 17×23"
A1 - 59×84cm, 23×33"