Cleve Eaton

Welcome to Birmingham Through My Lens. Today is the first post and I hope you will stop by often.This blog was previously Birmingham Alabama Daily Photo but on January 2, after almost 8 years as a City Daily Photo blog I made the decision to stop in order to give myself time to pursue new directions in my photography.

I've been waiting to find just the right image for DAY 1, and last night at the grand reopening of the historic 102 year old Lyric Theatre, the curtain opened to this. Cleve Eaton was just one of the many performers in the talent packed vaudeville show.  Cleve has played with Ramsey Lewis and Count Basie and to quote the program, "He has become a consummate bassist, producer, composer, publisher, arranger and head of his own recording company."

Up On The Roof

Yesterday we gathered another group of enthusiastic photographers for Shoot The Lyric, Part II.  The 99 year old Lyric Theatre as no AC of course so we were a hearty but hot group.  Somehow I was persauded into climbing all six floors of the adjoining office building and........ up on the roof. The breeze was most welcome as was the chance to see our city from that vantage point.  I finally got to see the beautiful detail at the top of the historic Alabama Theatre across the street!

Save the Lyric Theatre Series - The Lobby

The historic Lyric Theatre opened in 1914 as a vaudeville theater. Over the years it became a movie theatre but has fallen into tragic disrepair.  Luckily there is a strong movement to raise funding for the restoration. This week I will be featuring photographs that I have been fortunate to make on four different occasions over the last four years. Hopefully these posts will raise awareness and perhaps spark and interest with future donors.

Birmingham Landmarks has contracted with National Community Development Services to lead a 7 million dollar restoration effort.  The first phase will be the restoration of the lobby.  Recently the entire space has been blasted with dry ice dust to reveal the beautiful architectural details such as this.

One Seat Left...

down front.  The Lyric Theater is undergoing some much needed renovation work.  All of the seats have been removed except for this one that I found in the balcony.

Curtain Going Up!

It will be a long time before the curtain will go up on the fully renovated Lyric Theater. Built in 1917 as a vaudeville theater, it has been in sad disprepair for many years, but progress is being made.  Today two shots of the original curtain. Back in the day,  when backstage fires were a common occurance, an asbestos fire curtain was something to brag about. How times have changed.