(Above) A 1916 film ticket, bought at a time when Christchurch was one of the cinema centres of the UK
Exhibition: Let's All go to the Pictures, Red House Museum, Christchurch, until August 21 2010
On a week when the uncertain future of the UK Film Council might have left big screen fans feeling a little subdued, this show is a welcome pick-up for anyone within striking distance of Bournemouth.
Revealing the area's overlooked role as a key cinema centre for the UK between the 1920s and 1960s, it describes locals as being "mad about the cinema" at a time when colour and sound were ushering a new cinematic era into the surrounding towns.
Stellar advice on bygone cinema treats
"The social importance of the local cinema is long forgotten," rues Gerry Hooper, a well-known local cinema historian who has put the show together with the museum’s Catherine Donne.
"The cinema was central for entertainment, news, fashion, and communication. We'd love to hear about local people’s memories of going to the pictures."
The Regent Cinema was built in 1931, keeping film fans entertained for 42 years
Hooper has traced the earliest origins of blockbuster film in Christchurch, from humble beginnings at a local garage to purpose-built "picture palaces" and electric theatres.
Tickets, posters and pictures are among the exhibits, aimed at demonstrating how the launch of cinema was every bit as important as the digital revolution is today.
Open 10am – 5pm Tuesday – Saturday (2pm – 5pm Sunday, closed Monday). Admission free.
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