Although New York City was the center of the American film industry and the source of many innovative commercial practices, nickelodeons did not appear there first. Rather, the nickelodeon phenomenon began in urban, industrial cities of the Midwest like Pittsburgh and Chicago. The rapid increase of specialized storefront moving-picture theatres—commonly known as Nickelodeons, “electric theaters," and "theatoriums" created a revolution in screen entertainment. This would have altered the nature of spectatorship and precipitate fundamental shifts in representation. Their demand for product would not only increase film production but also force its reorganization. It is not too much to say that modern cinema began with the nickelodeons.