Cleveland Vintage Blog — History

Variety Theatre Update: The Variety Theatre property is once again up for sale. After being acquired in 2022, Variety Properties LLC is looking to sell to someone who would be looking to embark on a full redevelopment of the theater and the surrounding properties (whether or not the theater's ghosts stay in the deal remains to be seen). Luxurious theaters with their large seating capacities were a staple in the Cleveland area as far back as the 1920s. I myself grew up with one in Maple Heights - the Mapletown Theater. Most started out as single-screen movie houses that were...

Cleveland - and the rest of Ohio - is a cryptid hotbed, with recorded sightings that date back as far as the 18th century. From the watery depths of Lake Erie to the dense, forested depths of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and throughout the rest of the state, many types of cryptids have stalked this area and called it home. Here are some of the most popular cryptids you could find in Ohio. South Bay Bessie You might know South Bay Bessie by her other name - the Lake Erie Monster - but however you know her, she's been stalking...

You read that headline correctly: The first red-and-green traffic signals installed in North America were indeed again a Cleveland first in 1914 (Cleveland is the City of Light, after all). The road to get to that point began in London as far back as 1868, and the entire story brings to mind one of our favorite sayings that “necessity is indeed the mother of all invention." So what brought about the need for an electronically colored, bright, traffic signaling system you are wondering? Well, the simple answer is speed. When traffic consisted primarily of horses, horse-drawn carriages, foot traffic and...

In a recent conversation, I was asked exactly when Cleveland became known as “The City of Light” and I had to answer honestly that I had no idea. But since I’m rarely caught that off-guard on topics Cleveland-related, I set out to track down the answer. It led me to one Charles F. Brush, the inventor born in Ohio who brought us the arc light. If the name “Brush" and the word “arc” sound familiar, your instincts are correct. Brush High School, which serves the South Euclid-Lyndhurst School District, is indeed named after Brush. And their team nickname - the “Arcs” -...

Rocco Scotti was a beloved Cleveland baritone/tenor who sang the National Anthem more than anyone else - an estimated 10,000 times by the singer's own estimation. Scotti was the son of Italian immigrants and raised in Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood. The popular local talent passed away in 2015 at the age of 95, but was well-known for all the times he sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Cleveland Indians games, which dates back to his first time on Opening Day in 1952. Scotti even became good friends with Cleveland great Bob Feller over the years. One of his most famous renditions at Municipal...