The Adelphi, on Vicarage Road, Attercliffe opened in 1920, and the Grade II listed building operated as a cinema for nearly 50 years, before opening as a nightclub between 1996 and 2006.
But those days are behind it, and its last significant use was as a storage space as of 2013.
Loft plans to bring the historic but badly dilapidated art-deco structure back into use are underway, and the Adelphi could one day live again as an arts and community space.
But, ahead of better days to come, the building today stands empty - and, as one urban explorer has found, is filled with only dust, towers of stacked cardboard boxes, and hundreds of dead Dyson vacuum cleaners.
‘Lost Places and Forgotten Faces’ shared these images after delving into The Adelphi this week, where the strangest sight of all were row upon row of vacuum cleaners in the upper auditorium.
“It was like a Dyson cemetery where old hoovers come to die,” the anonymous urban explorer told The Star.
“Seeing all of those vacuum cleaners taking over the upper balcony of the Adelphi was probably the most bizarre scenes I've ever come across on one of my explores.
“I honestly did not expect to find that inside such a grand building, it really did suck to see that.”
There is little left in the huge space of the main auditorium that speaks to the cinemas glory days, with its large halls now filled with stacked white cardboard boxes as storage.
However, hidden in one room are remnants of its life as a nightclub in the 90s. Along with a DJ set list from 1997 are hundreds of cassette tapes from a club night dubbed ‘UpRising.’
LPFF told The Star: “I believe if someone with passion and deep pockets is willing to take on such a huge project then I can absolutely see the potential for this gorgeous building to be restored back to its former glory.
“Let’s hope for a return of UpRising!”
See the urban explorer’s photos from inside The Adelphi below, and visit his Facebook page for more information.
The future is still unclear for The Adelphi, despite the grade II-listed building featuring as a keystone of the government Levelling Up Fund-backed plans to revitalise the suburb of Attercliffe, and the role it will play in the Attercliffe Waterside development.
The area was a busy place to live and work when the steel industry was still dominant in Sheffield but has suffered from high levels of deprivation for decades, and Attercliffe is today one of the most deprived areas in all of England.
5. Downstairs
LPFF shared photos from throughout the cinema, including from an exploration of the basement. | Lost Places Forgotten Faces
6. 'A Dyson cemetery'
Easily the strangest find in the cinema was on the upstairs auditorium - where hundreds of vacuum cleaner sat like audience members for the stage below. LPFF told The Star: "It was like a Dyson cemetery where old hoovers come to die." | Lost Places Forgotten Faces
7. Stacked to the ceiling
Hundreds of cardboard boxes remain stacked inside. LPFF said he "never rummages around anything left behind in abandoned places as I find that unethical," but believes much of it could include flat-pack furniture and small appliances. | Lost Places Forgotten Faces
8. Lost decorations
One corner was stacked with these gold and silver decorations - another item left in storage, or decorations that once stood throughout the theatre? | Lost Places Forgotten Faces