The historic Curzon Community Cinema in Clevedon, North Somerset, in the west of England claims to be the oldest purpose-built continually-operated cinema in the world.

The 'Picture House', as it was originally called, opened on April 20th, 1912 with a special matinee to raise funds for the Lord Mayor of London Appeal for the survivors and relatives of those lost in the RMS Titanic disaster a few days previous.

The Lumière Cinema was founded by Alessandro Agostini in 1905 and is still owned and run by the Agostini family to this day. The first official screening of a film was made on Saturday, 16 December 1905.

Fully renovated in 2005, with modern equipment, the cinema still retains its original Art Nouveau charm by the famous architect Luigi Bellincioni.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records (from 2005 - 2007), the oldest cinema in the world was the Pionier Cinema which opened as the Helios on the 26 September 1909 in Stettin, Germany (now Szczecin, Poland).

The cinema was renovated in 2002 but retains its original charm.

The Korsør Biograf Teater which opened on January 30th, 1907 in the danish city of Korsør is currently listed as the oldest cinema in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. The cinema is run by a group of volunteers.

Founded in 1905 by the Guggenberger family, the Breitenseer Lichtspiele is the oldest cinema in Vienna, Austria and perhaps the oldest operating cinema in the world.

There is no decisive proof for this claim – the necessary papers were taken to Berlin in 1938 where they disappeared – but the evidence seems to be convincing. Mrs Nitsch-Fitz, the manageress, has a certificate commemorating the 100-year existence of the cinema, and all the almanacs about Austrian cinemas state that it was founded in 1905.

Listed as the oldest open air cinema in operation, Sun Pictures officially opened on December 9th 1916. Sun Pictures is listed on the Register of Heritage Places as a rare example of a purpose built picture garden still in commercial operation.

The cinema also has the unique distinction of being under the flight path to the runway at nearby Broome airport. Films through the decades have been interrupted at strategic moments by the engine roar and flashing lights of a landing aircraft, often accompanied by applause from generations of movie lovers!

Launched in December 2000, Cinema Treasures is a ground-breaking website devoted to movie theatre preservation and awareness. Utilising the community-building capabilities of the Internet, Cinema Treasures unites movie theatre owners and enthusiasts in a common cause—to save the last remaining movie palaces across the country.