UK’s oldest operating cinema Duke of York’s Picturehouse was opened on this day in 1910

The Duke of York’s Picturehouse, which is the oldest cinema in continuous use in the UK, opened on this day, i.e. September 22, in 1910. The art-house cinema in Brighton, England, was built at the cost of £3000 by actress-manager Violet Melnotte-Wyatt. It was one of Brighton’s first picture palaces and also one of the first cinemas in the world. 

Built on the site of Amber Ale Brewery, the picture palace was built with the help of architects Clayton & Black. Till this day, the building remains largely unaltered and it even retains one of its boxes in the balcony area. The Duke of York’s was considered to be a quality cinema for the more discerning patron. 

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Its marketing tag-line for years was ‘Bring her to the Duke’s, it is fit for a Duchess’. The name of the picture palace came from the West End theatre which its first proprietor Mrs Melnotte-Wyatt was also associated with. Even though it was established outside the town centre, it still catered for its local audience. While other cinema houses came and went, the Duke of York’s has remained in continuous operation. 

Screens mixture of classic and art-house films 

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Since 1981, the cinema has operated as an arts cinema and has passed through several owners. The Duke of York’s Picture palace houses one single scene with 278 seats, including a luxury balcony. It originally seated over 800, however, modifications made inside the building allowed for greater comfort. 

Every year, the picture palace hosts the Brighton Film Festival ‘Cine City’, which is organised between the Duke of the York’s and the University of Brighton. It also counts as patrons Brighton residents Nick Cave and filmmaker John Hillcoat, as well as actor/comedian Steve Coogan. Moreover, the cinema also regularly hosts events such as fancy-dress film premiers, all night Lord of the Rings marathon and late-night cult screenings. 

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