Matcham's theatres were often mocked by architects during the five decades after his death, and little care was taken by local authorities to preserve them during area regeneration programmes in the 1960s. It was only after 1970 that his buildings were taken seriously and, according to Mackintosh, his genius was widely recognised. The Theatre Museum, in 1995, acquired in excess of 7000 of Matcham's drawings. Of these, around 500 are highly finished and represent over seventy-five theatres or cinemas and about one-sixth of his total life's output.