Users of the library here might think they’ve entered a movie theatre, as about 30 movie posters have taken up space on the walls, courtesy of the local historical society.
The display features movie posters from the old Roxy Theatre dating from 1977 to 2002 and provided by former theatre owner Al Sharpe.
The theatre was shut down shortly after 2002 and converted to a concert hall until it was taken over by a Mennonite Credit Union.
Museum and archives curator Marlene Markle said the posters on display at the library are only a small group of the “hundreds of posters” the archives has received.
“With over 25 years of posters, that’s a lot,” Markle said.
Many of the titles, including Groundhog Day and Dracula will be familiar to many moviegoers.
“We were thrilled to get them,” Markle said.
The archives has been cataloguing and cleaning up the posters in anticipation of a larger exhibit that will take place after the library display is over at the end of August.
Markle said the plan is to have a larger display at the archives building in the former post office at the corner of Main and Wellington streets. The posters are part of some 4,000 historical pieces in place at the archives.
The curator said as part of the archives exhibit, she is hoping to secure other items from the former theatre to combine with the exhibit. Markle said she has already received an offer of two former movie theatre seats to display at the archives exhibit.
“We want any paraphernalia from the old movie house,” she said.
Branch librarian Daniella Arial is also looking for movie items to augment the library display and is looking at setting up a super 8 movie projector. Arial said the library will also be setting up biographies of the movies displayed on the posters.
Markle said discussions are still underway with Sharpe about the future of the posters, including possibly auctioning them off with any money raised to go toward the hospital and archives.
The curator has yet to establish a value on what the posters might get at auction.
