Christkindlmarkt Quad Cities

germanamericanheritagecenter

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Museum exploring the German immigrant experience and history of Davenport and Iowa!

This week`s From Hitler to Hollywood film was Fritz Lang`s "The Big Heat" (1953). Lang was a powerhouse of a screenwriter and director between the 1920s through late 50s. His works range from romantic noirs to psychological thrillers, inspired by the German Expressionist movement of the early 20th century.

Nicknamed "Master of Darkness" by the British Film Institute, Fritz Lang (Austrian) created films such as Metropolis (1927), Fury (1936), The Woman in the Window (1944), and so much more worth noting.

Critics in the 20th century have found Lang`s films unsuitable for enjoyment; despite this, his works thrived in America. "The Big Heat" was certainly a favorite of American audiences.

Thank you to everyone who joined us this week at The Last Picture House. We hope you found Lang`s work suitable for enjoyment. Join us next week for "Shanghai Express" starring Marlene Dietrich and Anna May Wong.

Public Domain photographs

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#museumenthusiast #museumtour #museum #arthistory #citymuseum #art #travel #historical #museumart #sculpture #aesthete #history #hollywood #oldhollywoodglamour #goldenageofhollywood #classichollywood #silverscreen #hollywoodglamour #hollywoodicon #hollywoodgoldenage #actor #actress #decades #film #talkies #silents #silentfilm #film #photography #GermanAmericanHeritageCenter …

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The Big Heat, 6pm tonight at the Last Picture House. Davenport Iowa.

Special thanks to the The Last Picture House and Truth First Film Alliance for supporting us in our mission.

Q&A After the show!
Artwork by local QC artist, Bruce Walters. …

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🍻 🇩🇪 Love Oktoberfest as much as we do?? Get involved and help make the event great!

We are looking to fill volunteer spots for Oktoberfest Davenport on Saturday September 20th, 2025 at K-Square! Volunteers get complimentary drink tickets, a meal ticket, and an optional admission ticket to Oktoberfest Rock Island on October 4th.

💪 As a small non-profit organization, we rely heavily on volunteers for help with set up, clean up, and everything in between. Help us make this event seamless by pitching in and making Downtown Davenport a great place to hang out!

Check out our openings and sign up here: https://signup.com/go/kxvtoBp …

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Get a FREE Expressionist-Inspired Print!

Through December 14th, 2025 or while supplies last.

Visit both the GAHC+M and the Figge`s Expressionist exhibitions and receive a FREE original print made by local artist Joseph Lappie. Inspired by Expressionist forms, movement, style, and incorporating local landmarks, these prints are available at the front desk. Just show us that you visited both exhibitions! (picture, receipt, etc.) …

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Some Iconic film stills from Sunset Boulevard (1950).

Thank you to everyone who came out to see this film in support of the German American Heritage Center, @thelastpichouse , and Truth First Cinema Alliance Inc. This series would not be possible without your support.

Join us again at the Last Picture House next week on September 10th for The Big Heat!
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#gloraswanson #silentfilm #sunsetboulevard #classics #oldhollywood #oldhollywoodglamour #talkies #filmhistory #film #photographs #reel #filmstills …

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Sunset Boulevard, 6pm tonight at the Last Picture House. Davenport, Iowa.

Special thanks to @thelastpichouse and Truth First Film Alliance for supporting us in our mission.

Q&A after the show!
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#gloriaswanson #sunsetboulevard #oldhollywood #hollywoodglamour #silentfilm #talkiefilm #movie #film #movingpicture #lastpicturehouse #filmstill #germanheritage #germanamerican #immigrant #history #filmhistory #classics …

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Sunset Boulevard (1950) is a dramatic noir film that displays the stark contrast between silent and talkie films at the height of the Golden Age of Hollywood. This film follows Joe Fillis in his attempt to escape reality by taking advantage of the delusions that fading star Norma Desmond offers him.

It stars Gloria Swanson, William Holden, and Nancy Olson, with appearances by Buster Keaton, Anna Q. Nilsson, and H.B. Warner. Music score by Franz Waxman, the German refugee who gave Hollywood its signature sound. Written and Directed by Billy Wilder.

Artwork by Bruce Walters

Sunset Boulevard will be shown at @thelastpichouse on September 3rd, 2025 at 6pm.
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#oldhollywood #silentfilm #talkie #hollywood #filmhistory #art #arthistory #oldhollywoodglamour #film #reel #german #heritage #refugee #immigrants #gloriaswanson …

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Our next Cyanotype Workshop is coming up on September 7th! Learn this early form of photography with a few simple materials and create your own prints with materials provided. Register at the link in our bio.

Long before digital cameras, scientists and artists captured the world in a striking shade of blue. The cyanotype process, invented in 1842 by English chemist Sir John Herschel, used light-sensitive iron salts to create vivid blue and white images. Best known today for its use in early “blueprints” and the delicate botanical prints of Anna Atkins, cyanotype was quickly embraced across Europe, including by German photographers and scientists eager to explore its artistic and practical potential. By the late 19th century, German experimenters such as Henry Bosse advanced studies of photographic chemistry, paving the way for cyanotype’s role as both a scientific tool and an expressive medium.

Henry Bosse immigrated to the United States and worked in Rock island as a cartographer and draughtsman. He also worked on taking cyanotype photographs on the Mississippi River Valley. …

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