The fundamental principles of Balaban & Katz theatre management (1926)

THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF experimenting you can vary the humidity, and, at times, you will be able to improve conditions materially. You will find that the proper winter condition would be a dry bulb temperature between seventy and seventy-two, with a relative humidity between forty-and fifty-five. For summer conditions you should maintain a dry bulb temperature between seventy-three and seventy-six, with a relative humidity between forty and forty-five. The most difficult periods of the year are the late spring period before you start your refrigeration plant, and the late fall period after your refrigeration plant has been shut down and before it is generally necessary to start your heating plant. Of the two critical periods, the more difficult one to handle is the fall period. The spring period you can generally take care of by use of sprays over the bunker coils because of the fact that your water supply is generally very much colder than the atmosphere. You can operate your theatre with very comfortable air conditions if you will take advantage of this fact. The reverse of this is also true. In your fall period your water supply remains warm after your dry bulb air temperature has become cold, and by passing the air through this added quantity of water it raises the temperature and the humidity which in turn warms up your theatre. We caution you again that you must anticipate your air changes in order that you have effective temperatures at the periods of the day when you have your maximum business, and the periods of the day when you have your minimum business. Changing air conditions requires time and you should look ahead twenty to thirty minutes in order to gain effective temperatures. Assuming that the conditions described have been carefully supervised throughout the day, we call to your attention the importance of properly closing your house. The manager should never [10] BALABAN 6? KATZ THEATRE MANAGEMENT