Art Deco Abstract

I spent Saturday morning on a tour of the Paramount Theater in Oakland, an art deco palace designed by Timothy Pflueger and opened in 1931. It has been restored to its original splendor, and is a must-see for all fans of that style of architecture. You're allowed to take all the pictures you want while on the tour, which is heaven for an inveterate shutterbug like me. This is just a small sample of the intricate ceiling structure designed by Pflueger -- who also designed the Castro Theater and a number of other opulent movie palaces and office buildings in those heady days before and during the Great Depression.

The Paramount offers tours the first and third Saturdays of each month, at a very reasonable cost of $5 per person. Highly recommended to fans of art deco architecture and movie theater history.