Here’s the Physics Building amphitheater in 1977. What tickled me was the caption on the back of the photo, with its open disdain for the extremely disappointing aesthetic choices involved in what must have been a recent remodel of the room. It says “old-style room with tall ceilings and exposed beams, under which now have been added ill-concealed modern lighting and air-conditioning ducts.” (One suspects a Hackerman-era cost saving measure. They always have a reason for this kind of stuff.)
It really was a bit of a desecration. You can see the original lighting in this one from 1916:
At some point they saw the error of their ways and put it back the way it was supposed to be:
Bonus: Iconic.
