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Photo Credit: June 26, 2013
From top to bottom, there's no part of Shea's Buffalo Theatre that hasn't been restored. But to reach the top, we had to have scaffolding installed to help our volunteers get 110 feet off the ground!
Photo Credit: June 26, 2013
Photo Credit: June 19, 2013. Pictured: President Anthony C. Conte and Historic Restoration Consultant Doris Collins
Photo Credit: June 25, 2013
These "dragons" were only discovered in 2014 because the ceilings were so stained by smoke. See if you can find them the next time you are at Shea's Buffalo Theatre!
Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - August 2, 2014. Pictured: William Mayer, painter.
"This is an absolute thrill, because we are re-creating history."
Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - June 19, 2013. Pictured: Stephanie Morabito, assistant restoration consultant.
All of our lamps and light-bulbs have been hand-dipped into a special glass stain by volunteers to replicate the originals with modern lightning.
Photo Credit: Steven D. Desmond
“Over the last 30 years Doris has been the driving force behind every perfectly matched crystal, paint, and fabric here at Shea’s,” said President Brian Higgins. “Her recruitment and expert training of restoration volunteers and students has saved Shea’s millions of dollars. Thanks to the meticulous efforts of Doris over the last three decades, visitors today step into this theatre as it was - or I would argue even better than it was - 100 years ago.”
Above the chandeliers are trap doors that can be opened to crank the chandeliers all the way down to the ground for an annual cleaning - the last time was in 2016. Now, Shea's rents a special lift to help us clean the crystals and lights.
Each of the three large chandeliers in the Grand Lobby requires 86 light bulbs.