History of the Collection:

This collection is a vivid and instructive series of images, lithograph movie posters that promote more than 6,000 movie titles produced mostly from 1940 to 1962. Some 4,000 posters, covering the years 1950-1962 were donated by Frederick Adler in 1972. Mr. Adler added approximately 1,000 more titles, concentrating on the early 1950's, in 1974. Philip Sills donated about 1,600 posters in 1974 that reflected the decade of the1940's.

Besides the obvious appeal to film students, these original movie posters should interest other academic disciplines. Art majors will be stimulated by the varying graphic design approaches of these examples of movie poster art. Business students will appreciate the marketing effectiveness, or lack thereof, of the differing ways to advertise movies. Many movies of this time period reflect the history of World War II and the Cold War. These film images are of value not only to students of history, but also to the social researcher for their shifts in mores and culture.