The Robert James Lucas archive contains documents that illustrate the donor's life and career in cinema exhibition from the mid 1920s to the late 1980s and offer a highly detailed and personal insight into the activities of a chief technical officer of a premier cinema chain.

Robert Lucas commenced work as a lolly boy at the Haymarket theatre in the mid 1920s and was employed by MGM in the late 1920s. Robert remained an employee of MGM for 45 years until his retirement in 1973 as the chief technical officer.

The archive material includes high quality commercial photographic prints of now demolished cinema interiors such as 'The Regent' / 'Plaza Talkies' (Melbourne) and files that record the debate regarding the introduction of drive-in cinemas in Australia.

There are also documents that illuminate the donor's life long career and development in cinema exhibition. The period covered by the archive demonstrates the changing culture in the presentation, promotion and technology of theatrical exhibition - ranging from the richly illustrated and quirky 1930s Loew's theatre management training manual to prospectuses for new theatre multiplex developments of the 1980s.

The archive includes material that supports the objects acquired along with this archive - in particular documents detailing the standards of exhibition service delivery and maintenance of the same.

There are also industry journals and other documents and photographs that chart the donor's activities and associations within the cinema industry and records of when he was sent by MGM to the 1954 Academy Awards ceremony. The archive is rich in images, offers technical detail and throws into light a colourful life and career in cinema exhibition.

The documents originate from various manufacturers, printers and publishers over the period late 1920s to late 1980s.

The documents were accumulated and retained by Bob Lucas during his working life - 1920s to 1980s.

Robert James (Bob) Lucas was born in Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand on 21 July 1908, the second youngest of five children. The family moved to Australia when Lucas about eight. Following the death of his father, Lucas left school at about the age of 15 to help support the family. He became a lolly boy at the Haymarket Theatre, George Street, Sydney and later an assistant projectionist. He studied electrical engineering by correspondence and gained his electrician's licence. He left the Haymarket Theatre in July 1928.

Lucas joined the staff of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in Sydney in 1929. In 1931, when he married Grace Ralston Woods of Gladesville at Birchgrove, Sydney, his occupation was recorded as "sound projectionist". The couple had 11 children and lived at Gladesville and Drummoyne.

Lucas became the Chief Technician of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in Australia and was responsible for the technical operation of the nation's Metro theatres circuit. He made several business trips overseas - to the USA in 1947 where he inspected MGM operations in New York and California and visited manufacturers of cinema equipment and again in 1954 where he attended the XXVI Academy Awards ceremony. Also in 1954 MGM sent Lucas to Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong to assist in the demonstrations of the new Perspecta Stereophonic Sound system. Lucas also made a working visit to Bombay, India in 1972. He retired in 1973 after 45 years of service to MGM. He died on 8 April 1987.

Archive, Australian cinema, paper, Robert James Lucas, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1927-1987

The archive includes high quality commercial photographic prints of now demolished cinema interiors such as 'The Regent' / 'Plaza Talkies' (Melbourne) and files that record the debate regarding the introduction of drive-in cinemas in Australia.

There are also documents that illuminate the donor's life long career and development in cinema exhibition. The period covered by the archive demonstrates the changing culture in the presentation, promotion and technology of theatrical exhibition - ranging from the richly illustrated and quirky 1930s Loew's theatre management training manual to prospectuses for new theatre multiplex developments of the 1980s.

The archive includes material that supports the objects acquired in conjunction with it - in particular documents detailing the standards of exhibition service delivery and maintenance.

There are also industry journals and other documents and photographs that chart the donor's activities and associations within the cinema industry and records of the donor's trip to the 1954 Academy Awards ceremony.

Made: Lucas, Robert James; Sydney; 1927 - 1987

2007/191/1

1927 - 1987