Order your own copy of this

2004 Marquee Celebration Commemorative Photo

(pictured below)

1934 to 2004: Over 1,000 people gathered to
celebrate the marquee lighting on January 16, 2004. 

Photo by TECO Energy photographer Bob Waselewski.

The 2004 Marquee Celebration group photo is
reminiscent of the vintage photo taken of a
crowd in front of the Theatre in 1934.

The Honorable Mayor Pam Iorio flipped the switch,
along with (from left) Tampa Theatre Foundation
Chairman Bob Glaser, Tampa City Council
Chairwoman Linda Saul-Sena, Mayor Iorio,
TECO Energy CEO Bob Fagan, and Tampa
Theatre President & CEO John Bell.

Photo by Tampa Theatre member Les Berty.

ABOUT THE MARQUEE RESORATION PROJECT

Tampa Theatre, one of America's best-preserved examples of grand movie palace architecture, invited the community to celebrate the lighting of the Theatre's restored marquee. The Marquee Lighting Celebration was held on Friday, January 16, followed by a free screening of West Side Story.

Restoration of the Tampa Theatre's historic marquee and its seven-story high vertical "blade" sign (spelling TAMPA) commenced on March 24, 2003 when workers dismantled the existing marquee. Original pieces were used as templates for the new sign, which is an exact replica updated with modern electronics. The entire project was constructed with copper, matching the original materials and finishes in accordance with U. S. Department of the Interior's standards for historic preservation.  The vertical blade sign is a replica of the original sign which was on the building from opening day (October 15, 1926) through 1971, when it was dismantled and discarded because of serious deterioration.

Funded by the City of Tampa through the Community Investment Tax, the marquee is visually stunning and a beautifully restored icon for Tampa.

The message system used on the marquee has changed several times over the 77-year history of the theatre. Since the 1950's, aluminum letters were carried up a tall ladder and slid onto tracks. But in the original design, metal letters with holes were clipped on, then lights bulbs were screwed through the holes and into a series of sockets. This system created letters of light against a dark background. The new design replicates the look of the original design by using modern electronics to program the letters from a computer, saving labor and time.

Order your own 2004 Marquee Celebration Commemorative Photo

The Marquee Lighting Celebration

was sponsored in part by