I’m still on 42nd Street, but about half a block farther west. The building that is clearly the star of the show is the lovely Empire Theatre. Opening in 1912 as the Eltinge 42nd Street Theatre, it was once a legitimate Broadway theater before being converted into a movie theater.

Continuing my thoughts about chain venues from yesterday, we can see that the Empire Theatre has now become part of the AMC chain. However, unlike the nondescript mall-based AMC locations you see throughout the country, this one impresses with its clearly elevated architecture. While much of 42nd Street has lost its old-world glamour, touches of it remain.

I’ve photographed the Empire before, during my last New York City series three years ago. That picture was shot with the Fujifilm GFX 50S II and features vivid colors, including the bold red neon. This monochrome version, while using essentially the same framing, creates a completely different, more sedate and slightly moody feeling. Which do you like better?

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