Emmanuel Briffa (September 4, 1875 – 1955) was a Maltese Canadian theatre decorator whose career in North America spanned thirty years, starting in 1912.

Emmanuel Briffa
BornSeptember 4, 1875[1]
Died1955
Resting placeNotre Dame des Neiges Cemetery
NationalityCanadian
Occupationtheatre design
Years active1912-1942
Known forRialto Theatre, Montreal

Devoted almost entirely to theatre decoration since immigrating to North America from Malta in 1912, Briffa spent several years working in the United States prior to moving to Canada in 1924.[1] In Canada, Briffa established himself as one of the most sought after theatre decorators, decorating approximately one hundred theatres,[2] including the Capitol Theatre in Moncton, New Brunswick.[3]

Quebec

edit
 
Briffa's tombstone in Montreal.

His cinema designs in Quebec included the Louis XVI style design for the Rialto Theatre,[4] a National Historic Site of Canada,[5] the former Snowdon Theatre,[6] Seville Theatre, Cinema V, York Theatre as well as the Granada Theatre in Sherbrooke, Quebec,[7] also a National Historic Site.[8]

After his death in 1955, he was entombed at the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in Montreal.[9]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d "Artist/Maker Name "Briffa, Emmanuel"". Cahadian Heritage Information Network. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  2. ^ Dombowsky, Philip (1995). "Emmanuel Briffa Revisited". Abstract. Concordia University. Retrieved 30 November 2008. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ "Capitol Theatre". Canada's Historic Places. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  4. ^ Le Théâtre Rialto, Centre d'histoire de Montréal (in French)
  5. ^ "National Historic Sites Of Canada System Plan, Parks Canada". Archived from the original on 2005-08-29. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
  6. ^ Snowdon Theatre, Cinema Treasures
  7. ^ Rittenhouse, Jonathan (1997). ""Our Granada": The Granada Theatre, Wellington Street, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, America, The World and Me". Theatrical Research in Canada. 18 (2). Retrieved 2008-11-30.
  8. ^ Lankin, Dane (Oct 13, 1973). "The reign of the "queens" draws to a close". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  9. ^ Répertoire des personnages inhumés au cimetière ayant marqué l'histoire de notre société (in French). Montreal: Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery.
edit