James Q. Clemmer opened the 1,200 seat Clemmer Theater at 1414 Third Avenue on April 12, 1912, one of the first theaters in the country made primarily to show motion pictures. Clemmer had established his first movie house - the Dream Theater that included a pipe organ - in an unused storefront in Pioneer Square in 1908. Clemmer went on to operate The Winter Garden, The Fifth Avenue, The Paramount, and the Music Box theaters in Seattle. He died on July 20, 1942.

This program is for a 1915 showing of D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" at the Clemmer Theatre, billed as "the most stupendous and fascinating motion picture drama created in the United States." It includes a short essay by Thomas Dixon, on whose story "The Clansman" the movie was based, as well as a full cast listing. The matinée time was 2:15 pm sharp and the evening performance at 8:15 pm sharp, with a six minute intermission between Acts I and II. The movie ran for five weeks in Seattle.

The back of the program contains a credit from James Q. Clemmer to his tailor, Theo T. Leman, for sponsoring the publication of the program saying, "I told him in my awkward way (just like I meant it) that I would not pay the bill I owe, if he did not come through like a regular fellow and he did!"

Caption information source: Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, Seattle Historical Sites "Summary for 1513 3rd AVE / Parcel ID 1975700450"
Caption information source: "J.Q. Clemmer, Theatre Man, Collapses, Dies", Seattle Times, July 21, 1942