The records relate to drive-in movie theatre projects by Gerhardt Kramer Associates and Kramer & Harms Architects from 1948 to 1975 in St. Louis County, Missouri and in Illinois, near St. Louis. The collection is divided into two series: Project Files and Architectural Drawings, both arranged alphabetically by project name. Included are architectural drawings, specifications, and some correspondence relating to the projects. The collection dates from 1948 to 1975 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1953 to 1959. There are several date gaps in the records: 1949-1952, 1957, 1961, 1963-1965, 1968-1969, and 1971-1974.

There is only one folder of correspondence not related to the architectural drawings (B1/f.1). It contains letters from Louis Levin, who approached Kramer about designing a drive-in in Ohio. In his three-page letter of 13 April 1956, Kramer explained differences in cost relating to his previous drive-in projects. Other correspondence is with architect Ben Stein of Chicago, revealing that he and Kramer shared drawings from their theatre projects.

Drawings by two other architects for drive-ins completed earlier than the Kramer & Harms projects are included. The Airway Drive-In on St. Charles Rock Road was designed in 1948 by O. W. Stiegemeyer for Mr. Henry Halloway. The theatre was the fifth drive-in in the region when it opened in the fall of 1948 at a capacity of 1,000 cars. There are wiring layouts for Ronnie’s Drive-In, also a 1,000 car capacity theatre, that opened in July 1948 on Lindbergh Boulevard.

There is a significant amount of drawings for the Bel-Air Drive-In that was located at U. S. Highway 66 and Illinois State Road 111 in Mitchell (Pontoon Beach), Madison County, Illinois. This drive-in opened in 1953 and was designed to be open year round, so plans included car heaters and two small theaters in the concession building. There are no specifications or correspondence relating to this project.

The Holiday Drive-In at 9900 Page Avenue opened in the summer of 1955. It also housed the offices of the Jablonow-Komm Theatres, later known as Mid-America Theatres. Project files relating to the Holiday project include general and heating and cooling specifications but no correspondence. There are preliminary specifications generated by Fine & Bildner, Inc Architects (8631 Delmar Blvd) for the construction of a twin auditorium theatre by the Mid-America Theatre Corporation at 9900 Page avenue in 1970. The drawings include the original site, concession and playground, and also additions to the office building and the addition of screens in 1975.

The Shop City Drive-In in East Louis, Illinois, at 5050 Summit Street (51st and Summit) opened in early 1956 and, like the Bel-Air, was designed to be open year-round. Project correspondence from May 1955 to April 1956 includes communications with the owners, Jablonow-Komm Enterprises, who also contracted with Kramer for the Bel-Air and the Holiday, and with J. J. Altman and Co., the general contractor from East St. Louis. Letters authorizing costs and invoices from various contractors, especially Altman, date from June 1955 to March 1956. There are also clippings, specifications, and addenda to the specifications.

The Thunderbird Drive-In Theatre, located at 3501 Hamilton Avenue in north St. Louis County, opened in July 1959. The files include structural, plumbing, and drainage computational notes; correspondence with contractors and the developer; invoices; clippings; and specifications.