ABSTRACT
In the United States the equivalent landmarking scheme of most states did not allow the landmarking of buildings not in use, and so hundreds of theatres were torn down without a chance being given to conservationists, largely because they were dark. The National Register of the Federal Parks Commission was highly selective and roughly equivalent to Britain’s Grade I. As a result few theatres have ever made it on to the national list which
does offer better protection than most of the state landmarking systems. The Canadians, once awakened in the 1980s to the little that remained of their theatrical heritage, have been much more assiduous in its rescue.
