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Motion Picture Lobby Cards, 1913-1999
PASC 65  
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Collection Overview
 
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Description
The collection consists of primarily of American motion picture lobby cards dating from 1913 to ca 1980s.
Background
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.
Extent
55.5 linear ft. (111 boxes)
Restrictions
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.
Availability
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.