Category Archives: Then & Now Pictures

>h1>Dominican Republic Then & Now / Antes & Despues

Have you ever looked at a place, building or street in the present and wondered what it might have looked like 10, 50 or 100 years ago? I do this also. I am trying to find these pictures to show what the same area looked like in the past. If you have any before and after or then and now pictures to share please send them my way with as much of a detailed description as possible. This is our history and our present.

Pictures of places in Dominican Republic showing older pictures of the past with the same place in present time.

Then & Now –

Alcazar de Colon

Then & Now – Cine Max

Ornamental Fountain Monument / Monumento De Fuente Ornamental

Colmado Los Muchachos

Palacio de Borgellá

These pages are in the old non-responsive web site until I can get them moved to the new site.

*Instituto Salomé Ureña

*Port Command at Ave U.S. Marine Corp.

Then & Now – Cine Capitolio

Then & Now / Antes & Ahora – Cine Capitolio is now Capitolio Market Place.

Teatro-Cine Capitolio

Cine Capitolio was built in 1925 by Juan Bautista del Toro, it was the first cinema / movie theater in the Dominican Republic.

Cine Capitolio in 1945. This was the first movie theater in Dominican Republic.

The theater first showed silent movies, the first was “Los Enemigos de la Mujer”, then progressed to playing “talkies”. When this occurred they lost many movie goers because most of the films were in English. Finally, they presented the Mexican produced film “Charros y Manolas”, the first film they showed in the Spanish language. The theater was back in business and the cine boomed until the mid 1960’s when they closed the doors for good.

Capitolio Market Place

The building, once named Columbus Plaza, is called Capitolio Market Place. This 3 level gift shop house different retail shops, gift shops, food and cigar vendors and also have a restaurant with a daily buffet.

Location – #206 Calle Arzobispo Meriño not far from Calle El Conde across from the Cathedral of Santo Domingo.

Thank you Imágenes de Nuestra Historia, R.D

Then & Now – Cine Max

Then & Now / Antes & Ahora – Cine Max is now the Iglesia Pentecostal Church Dios es Amor

The Teatro or Cine Max, originally called El Travieso, is located in Barrio Chino / Chinatown. It was one of the big movie theaters of its time. In fact, it was the second largest cinema in the city of Santo Domingo. The cinema was known for the yummy goodies, including crispy fried platanos, they sold to the clientele. They were famous for their very large lobby. The cinema also had large fans for cooling and a side exit to keep movie goers coming and going easily. Thank you Historia Dominicana En Graficas for the picture.

Cine Max on Av. Duarte in Santo Domingo 1959.

The Iglesia Pentecostal Dios es Amor (IPDA.com.do) now occupies the old Cinema Max building. The Pentecostal church is open daily. The interior still has much of the same look as the old cinema.

The Iglesia Pentecostal Dios es Amor in Barrio Chino used to be Cine Max.

Location: Av. Duarte between Av. Mella and Calle Benito Gonzales, Barrio Chino (Chinatown). It is just 1 block from La Sirena and the Colonial Zone.

Then & Now – Palacio de Borgellá

Palacio de Borgellá was built in 1823 by Haitian Governor Gerónimo Borgellá. In the 1940’s The Palacío was the government seat. More history of the Palacio Borellá.

Palacio de Borgellá y Cárcel Real / Borgellá Palace and Royal Prison – 1890

Palacio de Borgellá y Cárcel Real CIRCA 1890

Senado y Cámara de Diputados / Senate and Chamber of Deputies, Ciudad Trujillo, Calle Isabel la Catolicá in the 1940s.

The Palacio de Borgellá dated 2-19-2012.

Palacio de Borgellá after the Colonial Zone Renovation with the gargoyles from the Cathedral located in front of the building. Picture is dated 6-16-2016.