Friends of the Rialto

The Rialto is featured in this list of spooky movie locations!

Go to this page and write your representatives. DO IT NOW! https://wemakeevents.org Don’t Let Events Go Dark #WeMakeEvents #SaveOurStages #RedAlertRestart

Last night all over the country, theatres and performance venues were lit red to highlight the crisis they all face due to the pandemic. Theatres were the first places to close and will be one of the last places to open, denying the public the chance to find shared comfort in these difficult times, and destroying the livelihood of millions. Until it is safe to responsibly reopen theatres, we need to support the industry that means so much to all of us: Live events employ over... 12 million people. Live events contributes over $1 trillion annually to the US economy. 95% of live events have been cancelled due to COVID-19. 96% of companies have cut staff and/or wages. 77% of people in the live events industry have lost 100% of their income, including 97% of 1099 workers. What can you do? Go to this page and write your representatives. DO IT NOW! https://wemakeevents.org Don’t Let Events Go Dark #WeMakeEvents #SaveOurStages #RedAlertRestart

One of the last elements of the exterior renovation is the tiled areas under the storefront windows. Originally these areas were all tile, and we know from investigation that they were a random pattern using multiple colors of Batchelder field tiles, but they have been covered for decades by paint and brick veneer. First we brought in tile historian Brian Kaiser, who shared the history of Batchelder tiles of this era, and advised us on the best way to preserve and restore these tiles. At the urging of Friends of the Rialto, the Rialto owners hired South Pasadena mason Clifford C. Douglas to carefully remove the remaining Batchelder tiles and clean them. This album details the process.

Progress! Right now we are working with the owners on the tile areas under the storefront windows!

Friends of the Rialto is mentioned in this update on the Rialto's exterior renovation!

Progress! Right now we are working with the owners on the tile areas under the storefront windows!

I have been asked by the Rialto Theatre owners to do a presentation on the exterior restoration at the Cultural Heritage Commission virtual meeting, tonight at 6:30pm. You can watch the meeting live at this link, or preview the video presentation that will be part of the meeting agenda. This explains the process involved in choosing the colors and doing the restoration. I will be available live to answer any of the commissioners questions. While there is still more work to do this has been a successful collaboration and we appreciate the owners willingness to consult with Friends of The Rialto to get the job done right! - Escott O. Norton - Founding Director

The scaffolding is coming down! We can now see what the Rialto looked like in 1925, with the original color scheme restored! Thanks to the owners for working with Friends of the Rialto to make sure the colors were historically accurate!