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Motion Picture Lobby Cards, 1913-1999
PASC 65  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Restrictions on Access
  • Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
  • Preferred Citation
  • UCLA Catalog Record ID
  • Provenance/Source of Acquisition
  • History
  • Scope and Content
  • Organization and Arrangement

  • Title: Motion picture lobby cards
    Collection number: PASC 65
    Contributing Institution: UCLA Library Special Collections
    Language of Material: English
    Physical Description: 55.5 linear ft. (111 boxes)
    Date (inclusive): 1913-1999
    Abstract: The collection consists of primarily of American motion picture lobby cards dating from 1913 to ca 1980s.
    Language of Materials: Materials are in English.
    Physical Location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.

    Restrictions on Access

    COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.

    Restrictions on Use and Reproduction

    Property rights to the physical object belong to the UC Regents. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

    Preferred Citation

    [Identification of item], Motion Picture Lobby Cards (Collection PASC 65). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.

    UCLA Catalog Record ID

    UCLA Catalog Record ID: 4232826 

    Provenance/Source of Acquisition

    Donation; 1982, 1985, 1988.

    History

    Lobby cards were introduced in the 1910s as promotional tools in movie theatres. The first lobby cards were 8" x 10" (the size of a contemporary motion picture still) black and white or brown and white until the introduction of color cards in about 1917. They increased in size to 11" x 14" and eventually became a standard part of promotional materials sent to theatres for advertising their coming attractions. By the 1920s, lobby card sets included eight cards: seven scene cards and a title card. The title card included major credits for the film; the remaining scene cards depicted key scenes from the films they advertised. The scene images were often the product of a still photographer who accompanied the cast and crew to shoot both film stills and images for the theatre lobbies. Occassionally, for major releases, Hollywood studios would sometimes issue sixteen card sets, including two title cards and fourteen scenes. Lobby Cards are no longer used in U.S. theaters and are rarely produced for today's films.

    Scope and Content

    Collection consists of motion picture lobby cards dating from 1913. Includes primarily American titles with an average of 1-7 items per title. All cards are color and measure 11x14 inches. The bulk of the collection dates from the 1950s on.

    Organization and Arrangement

    Arranged alphabetically by title.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Advertising--Motion pictures.
    Lobby cards.