Author Topic: The very first "movie posters" appeared at the same time movies were first made!  (Read 757 times)

Offline BruceH

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The very first "movie posters" appeared at the same time movies were first made, around 1896. They were small posters with a vertical format, advertising the machines and the process, rather than individual movies!

Here are more important milestones in the early history of movie posters (I am just writing these off the "top of my head", and I welcome any additions or corrections):

c.1898 - what is believed to be the first poster for a specific movie is seen, for the comedy short "Watering the Gardener"
c.1901 - the first traditional one-sheets for single movies appear
c.1909 - the first one-sheets with actors billed appear
c.1909 - the first exhibitor magazines appear
c.1910 - the first three-sheets appear (printed on 3 one-sheet sized pieces, hence the name)
c.1912 -  the first 8x10 stills appear
c.1913 - the first six-sheets appear (printed on 6 one-sheet sized pieces, hence the name)
c.1913 - the first 14x22 window cards appear
c.1914 - the first souvenir program books appear
c.1915 - the first 11x14 lobby cards appear (the very first ones are vertically oriented)
c.1916 - the first pressbooks appear
c.1917 - the first 22x28 half-sheets (called "displays") appear
c.1920 - the first 14x36 inserts appear
c.1920 - the first 24-sheets appear (printed on 24 one-sheet sized pieces, hence the name)
c.1920 - the first studio yearbooks (also called "campaign books") appear

ATTENTION ALL YOU POSTER HISTORY BUFFS! As I said above, the above chart was created in minutes, and I welcome any additions or corrections. I would LOVE to greatly expand it, and I would especially like to add similar dates for every movie poster producing country! Please email me if you have information to help make this a reality!
We (eMoviePoster.com) hold 2,500 to 4,000 auctions every four weeks.
We have auctioned more movie paper for more money (in real sales) than any auction in the world.
We have the longest continuously running auctions of any auction, with over 1,914,280 to date from over 3,192 consignors.
See all of our current auctions in one gallery here: http://www.emovieposter.com/agallery/all.html

Offline okiehawker

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Hi Bruce,

Great info on poster history!  I wonder what might be the date of the first known studio sanctioned herald, and also the first known locally produced herald?

My best to you and the West Plains team, Okie

Offline BruceH

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Hi Bruce,

Great info on poster history!  I wonder what might be the date of the first known studio sanctioned herald, and also the first known locally produced herald?

My best to you and the West Plains team, Okie

A few years ago I was consigned an amazing collection of super early heralds, many from 1913 to 1915.

I had ONE from 1908 (at https://www.emovieposter.com/agallery/archiveitem/2897779.html ) and one from 1909 (at https://www.emovieposter.com/agallery/archiveitem/4739138.html ) but one always has to wonder if those could be from re-release, given that there are so few suriving from that early (but there is nothing on them to indicate a re-release).

Once I have some "free time" I intend to do considerable research in 2 areas:
1) The earliest and latest known items of every type
2) Definitively identifying as many pre-1970 poster artists as possible. There is a massive amount of mis-information out there (including sometimes on artists' websites or in books about their work)

So far, that "free time" has proven elusive![/b][/font][/size]
We (eMoviePoster.com) hold 2,500 to 4,000 auctions every four weeks.
We have auctioned more movie paper for more money (in real sales) than any auction in the world.
We have the longest continuously running auctions of any auction, with over 1,914,280 to date from over 3,192 consignors.
See all of our current auctions in one gallery here: http://www.emovieposter.com/agallery/all.html

Offline crowzilla

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    • Kaiju Poster Database
Bruce, are you ever going to do anything with that NSS master list type book you acquired many years ago?
Another area that needs good research when you have free time.
The Online Reference to Japanese Sci-Fi Posters:
www.Kaijuposters.com