Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Source |
Iowa Jewish Historical Society |
Iowa History Era Tag |
World War II to an Urban State (1940-1963) |
Chronological Tag |
Postwar United States (1945-1970s) |
Catalog Number |
2018.014.012 |
Credit line |
Iowa Jewish Historical Society - Waukee, Iowa |
Description |
This photograph shows Des Moines resident Abraham Harry "A.H." Blank (left) standing next to Actor John Wayne (center) and Herbert Yates, the president of Republic Pictures (right). Blank built and owned over 100 movie theaters in Iowa and surrounding states in the 1930s and 1940s. He also opened the Blank Children's Hospital in 1944 to honor his son, Raymond. Blank also helped open the Blank Park Zoo and the A.H. Blank Golf Course in Des Moines. Content can be used with the following standards: 3rd grade SS 3.28 Cultural Contributions and SS-Econ. 9-12.24 Iowa Impact Upon Economy in a lesson on the entertainment business and consumer culture in the mid-1900s. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization that owns this item regarding copyright restrictions. |
Additional Research & Sources |
Blank and his family immigrated from Romania to Council, Bluffs Iowa in the early 1900s and Blank soon began a business of renting a movie projector and showing short films in a small downtown store that held 25 people. Despite the community's belief that the business would soon fail, Blank's Theatrical Enterprises boomed as he built theaters in towns such as Omaha, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and Newton. By the mid-1920s, his business under Central States Theater Corp., became one of the largest in the country. Theaters that Blank established include: Paramount Theater in Cedar Rapids, Star Theatre in Des Moines, Casino Theatre in Charles City, Casino Theatre in Davenport and the Brandeis Theater in Omaha. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Object is related to the following library resources, which can be found by searching the catalog number in the advanced search section: Catalog #: 2018.045.051- Des Moines, Together with the History of Polk County 2018.045.098- Centennial History of Polk County, Iowa |
Primary/Secondary Source |
Significant - State/National |
County Tag |
Polk |
People |
Blank, Abraham Harry Yates, Herman Wayne, John |
Multimedia Links |
Click here to view/hear the file. |
Search Terms |
Arts & Culture Destinations/Attractions Business & Industry Visual Arts |
Legal Status |
Ownership of this resource is held by the Iowa Jewish Historical Society and has been provided here for educational purposes only, specifically for use in the Iowa Museum Association's "Teaching Iowa History" project. It may not be downloaded, reproduced or distributed in any format without written permission from the Rights Holder. For information on U.S. and International copyright laws, consult an attorney. |
