Movie Poster Archives
Where Movie Magic and Memories Meet
At Movie Poster Archives, we believe movie posters are important historical
artifacts that tell us who we are and where we come from.
And they’re fun!
Movie Poster Archives is nonprofit. Our purpose is to create a vast digital and physical archive for the preservation and research of movie paper. Movie posters are fragile. They were created as disposable advertising and were never meant to last. Vulnerable to fire, water, sunlight, and the ravages of time, most have disappeared into history. Sadly, many have been thrown out by people unaware of their significance. Horror stories abound of thousands of posters dumped in landfills and burned in firepits — even sealed in an abandoned mineshaft. The growing use of digital displays in movie theater lobbies further erodes the production of these paper memories.
Posters have an intrinsic value to film enthusiasts, and these fragile relics are a treasure trove for the study of film, art, history, and social attitudes. They picture our outlooks on race, women, sexuality, politics, and every other aspect of human endeavor and behavior through the decades.
Archives are an important resource for the study of film history and the film industry. The collection is being digitized for historic preservation and a virtual museum is in development. The opening exhibit of Louisiana Movie Posters is online now.
Movie Poster Auction
Movie Poster Archives is partnering with Bidding For Good a special auction site for non-profit organizations with over 20 years of experience in the fundraising software industry. When multiple donations of the same item are donated, the vaults are opened to offer these extras to fund programs for the preservation and study of movie paper, exhibits, and education. Winning bidders from across the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom are enjoying items that were hidden from view. Movie Poster Auctions make collectors and dealers happy while funding vital programs for Movie Poster Archives.
January 26 – February 2, 2022
Louisiana Movie Poster Virtual Museum
Since 1895 more than 3,000 movies have been made in or about Louisiana. The Louisiana Movie Poster Virtual Museum presents a selection from the archives in cooperation with Hollywood on the Bayou. We have hundreds to add, so check back with us as we grow.
Ed and Susan Poole, renowned movie poster experts and authorities on Louisiana film history, curated th3 initial exhibit. The virtual museum is funded in part by grants from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and the New Orleans Entertainment Coalition.
More than an Archive . . . We’re intergalactic!
Star Wars Characters Land at Rancho Obi-Wan
Historic Vitascope Hall
Backdrop Louisiana!
Rare British Movie Posters donated to the Bill Douglas Museum
Bill Douglas Museum at Exeter University
