Restored 8 mm film shorts flickered across the movie screen, showing a packed house at the Sovereign Majestic in Pottsville on Wednesday glimpses of fierce fires in the city in the 1960s and 1970s.
One featured images from a fire in the 400 block of Laurel on Feb. 21, 1965.
Michael R. Glore, 45, of Pottsville, one of the local historians who hosted the event, "The History of the Pottsville Fire Departments," described the action on screen with enthusiasm:
"You can see some of the buildings are in the process of being demolished. You can see the interior walls. There's the West End operating their ladder pipe on Laurel. It was Laurel Street at the time. It was much narrower at the time. Now it's Laurel Boulevard. And there's Jerry Brennan. I saw Jerry sitting in the audience here."
Brennan, 85, of Pottsville, said he was a fireman with the Good Intent Fire Company at the time, and he enjoyed Wednesday night's presentation.
"I thought it was very, very good. Very informative, and it brought back so many memories of all the guys that I ran with from the Good Intent Fire Company," Brennan said Wednesday night.
Because a crowd of more than 200 gathered for the show and the positive response, Glore said the Pottsville Area Fire Department and the Schuylkill County Historical Society would like to do a similar presentation at the theater in the future.
"We had some requests from individuals and maybe several months down the road we'll do something similar, maybe take a different angle," Glore said.
"People in Pottsville should really see this. I think they should show it to everyone, and put it on DVD and put it out for sale," Brennan said.
Glore and Michael J. Kitsock, 59, both of Pottsville, were the main speakers at the hour-and-a-half presentation.
Part of the historical society's lecture series, it covered the 184-year history of firefighting in the City of Pottsville.
Glore is a full-time firefighter in Reading. He's also a member of Phoenix Fire Company No. 2 in Pottsville. Kitsock is president of the Schuylkill Historical Fire Society in Shenandoah.
They co-authored three books in Arcadia's "Images of America" series: "Pottsville Firefighting" in 2004; "Reading Firefighting" in 2008; and "Schuylkill County Firefighting" in 2010.
Usually, the society books its lectures at its headquarters at 305 N. Centre St. But because of the interest in the topic, Glore, Kitsock and David Derbes, president of the Schuylkill County Historical Society, decided to book the theater.
When Derbes opened the show to welcome the crowd, he said the Schuylkill County Historical Society is celebrating its 110th anniversary this year. Then he said, "we've never seen a turnout like this to any of our meetings. It's really gratifying to see all of you come out."
Local dignitaries in the crowd included state Rep. Mike Tobash, R-125, members of city council including Lori A. Spotts and Mark Atkinson, city fire Chief Todd March and numerous volunteer firefighters.
"This is nice in here," said A.J. Mitchell, a volunteer with Phoenix Fire Company No. 2. It was his first visit to the Sovereign Majestic, which was established in 2006.
"A.J., the last time I saw you, you were up on a roof," said Edward Slane, fire chief and councilman from New Philadelphia.
Slane was referring to a chimney fire they responded to at 7 p.m. Saturday at 88 Washington St., Middleport.
More than 130 fire companies have formed in Schuylkill County since its first, Friendship Hose Company No. 1 of Orwigsburg, organized in 1820, according to Glore.
The city has seven active fire companies: American Hose Company No. 2; Good Intent Fire Company No. 1; Good Will Fire Company No. 4; Humane Fire Company No. 1; Phoenix Fire Company No. 2; West End Fire Company No. 7; and Yorkville Hose & Fire Company No. 1.
Their presentation included photos and film footage projected onto the theater's big screen.
Glore's daughter, Katie, 15, a Minersville Area sophomore, ran the slideshow, which featured more than 80 images and charts.
Admission was free but there was a jar for freewill offerings. The money collected was split between the fire department and the historical society, according to Derbes. Derbes did not have a count of what was collected Wednesday night.