The Drive-In Era
Steve Fitch’s “Screen Towers” captures the nostalgic world of mid-century American drive-in theaters, where massive outdoor screens and hundreds of parked cars transformed the movie experience into a powerful social and visual spectacle.
Beginning in 1933 and flourishing after World War II, drive-ins became cultural landmarks, with over 4,000 theaters across the United States during the 1950s and 60s. Steve Fitch traveled the country, photographing the vivid neon and painted murals on the street-facing sides of the towers, often depicting local history and visible from miles away.
Circle Drive-In Theater, Waco, Texas. 1981
69 Drive-in Theater, Checotah, Oklahoma. 1982
Victory Drive-in Theater, Menominee Falls, Wisconsin. 1981
Star-Vu Drive-in Theater, Longmont, Colorado. 1981
By the 1980s, the photographer shifted to color, using a large-format camera, focusing on the screens and interior spaces as many drive-ins faced abandonment or demolition. “Screen Towers” stands as the first comprehensive book in decades to document this iconic American architecture and culture, preserving a fading chapter of cinematic history.
Gemini Drive-in Theater, Victoria, Texas. 1981
Bordertown Drive-In Theater, Laredo, Texas, 1985
Star Drive-in Theater, Monte Vista, Colorado. 2009
The online exhibition “Screen Towers: The Drive-In Theater in America” is on view on Joseph Bellows gallery’s website. The homonymous book is published by George F. Thompson and available at the price of 45$.
