Vitagraph Smokestack - Atlas Obscura
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Vitagraph Smokestack

Brooklyn, New York

The remnants of what was once the largest film studio on the East Coast are hiding in plain sight. 

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It's no Hollywood sign. YeleFit (Atlas Obscura User)
It's no Hollywood sign. YeleFit (Atlas Obscura User)
The old Vitagraph Smokestack is a piece of cinematic history. YeleFit (Atlas Obscura User)
Thousands of train passengers go by the smokestack daily. YeleFit (Atlas Obscura User)
A local newspaper in 1916 talks about the building plans. Public Domain
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By 1916, Vitagraph Studios occupied two acres of land in Brooklyn. It became famous for his comedies starring John a Bunny, the most popular comedian in the US before Carly Chaplin. In 1911, Vitagraph published the first motion picture magazine, Motion Picture Story Magazine. He has produced such stars as Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew, Norma and Constance Talmadge, Anita Stewart, Clara Kimball Young, Flora Finch, Maurice Costello, and Mabel Normand.

The oldest building was demolished in 2015. But the smokestack remains. So this chimney, on which the black brick letters “Vitagraph” are still clearly visible, is the only surviving hint of the storied past of this place.

Know Before You Go

The Vitagraph Smokestack can be seen from a distance. Note that not all parts of the surrounding complexes are open to the public.

movies cinema film
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Published
August 18, 2024
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