Display or conceal the "history" of your posters?

[guest4955]

So yesterday I rushed some $$ MP bids/purchases.

When the dust settled after I won them, I realized these MPs had some flaws, e.g. missing paper, censor stamps, and tape on the front.







In Round 1, I would have blown a gasket bc I negligently bought imperfect MPs.



I thought back to Richie Rich's criticism of me for "hiding the history" of my MPs which I planned to lback.

I think I've come-to-Jesus on this issue. I think that relatively "minor" flaws reveal the history of the posters and make them MORE interesting.

In essence old MPs should show some flaws bc they're old.

I don't plan to repair these and will display them as-is.

****

That said, fold lines crossing the face of a super-femme are intolerable:





****

SHOW us your flawed/repaired posters and do explain your philosophy on said subject....

[Chris9000]

I've come close to doing what you did many times. Luckily, I always have one last close look at almost any poster I bid on, and certainly with one that's going to 'cost' me, before I bid. It's saved me many times.

'Flaws' I would consider 'history' that wouldn't deter me from buying an item.... fold lines, censor stamps, show dates/times

'Flaws' I would consider, well, flaws that I would try and steer clear of ... pinholes, rips, tears, excessive fold wear, writing not related to the dates/times

My two cents anyhow.

[erik1925]

So yesterday I rushed some $$ MP bids/purchases.

When the dust settled after I won them, I realized these MPs had some flaws, e.g. missing paper, censor stamps, and tape on the front.

In Round 1, I would have blown a gasket bc I negligently bought imperfect MPs.



I thought back to Richie Rich's criticism of me for "hiding the history" of my MPs which I planned to lback.

I think I've come-to-Jesus on this issue. I think that relatively "minor" flaws reveal the history of the posters and make them MORE interesting.

In essence old MPs should show some flaws bc they're old.

I don't plan to repair these and will display them as-is.

****

That said, fold lines crossing the face of a super-femme are intolerable:





****

SHOW us your flawed/repaired posters and do explain your philosophy on said subject....

Im sure there are threads about this in the Restoration section. One thread that comes to mind is called, "Show Us Your Befores and Afters (or something close to that). There has also been a lot of chatter about why people back/repair/remove fold lines vs those that want their poster history and life to shine thru. I'm in this category and would never want a poster's "life" erased from over re-touching, airbrushed borders and things like that.

For me, less is more. And repairs are only done if the poster is in danger of falling apart, brittle, splitting etc.

And I dont mind tax stamps (on Belgians) or other kinds of ink stamps, as long as it doesnt detract or go over a prime piece of the art (like someone's face). Again, to me, those show a poster was used, displayed and seen by the public, back in the day. 

[jayn_j]

I personally consider each example as to whether the element adds or detracts from the overall poster.  I prefer a poster to show some history, but that isn't the right answer for everyone.  My posters show that they have had a life doing their intended purpose.  Thus, I don't mind folds, staple holes or snipes.  There are exceptions though. 

I have a half sheet of American Graffiti.  It had the original rating covered with tape and a large Canadian snipe stating it was for adult audiences.  I removed the tape over the PG rating.  I was initially going to remove the Canadian stamp, but folks here convinced me it was part of the history.  I left the snipe, and it now has grown on me.

OTOH, I had an insert of Kiss Me Kate that had a poorly applied snipe for popular prices.  I had a hunch, so I carefully removed the snipe and found this:


The poster actually gained history by being the first musical shot in 3-D.  I have since been working on washing and cleaning up the poster.

[erik1925]

Here's a Swedish OS I have for the James Whale directed film, Green Hell (1941). There is a local distributor's snipe over the printed, Universal logo (which can be seen beneath the snipe in the lower right corner).

To me, this is a case where I don't see the snipe as a "flaw," but more an added bit of history of how this movie was distributed in parts of Sweden. If I ever did decide to remove the snipe, I would hold onto it, for sure.

Truth be told, I'd rather see the Universal logo, though.

[guest4955]

This one was a little bit too beaten up but I like the snipe:

[50s]

^ Love the arrived Green Slime stains turned brown over time. Must display that history

[paul waines]

Don't worry Mel, by round 3 you will be used to the folds...

[MoviePosterBid.com]

^ Love the arrived Green Slime stains turned brown over time. Must display that history

dried Green Slime blood.....

[guest4955]

I'd nix the days on this one, pretty boring history:

[erik1925]

For me personally, no matter how simple the wording or text written, I'd rather keep it rather than taking it to a restorer to have that top imprint area airbrushed and painted over. The other borders would likely have to be retouched, too, so that the paper color would match all the way around.

Plus, it shows that an item was actually used in a theater or other location at some point, rather than sitting unused in a warehouse some place.

[CJ138]

Who wants to go through life with no scars? Unless it truly interferes with the art, I display my posters with flaws.

[erik1925]

Who wants to go through life with no scars? Unless it truly interferes with the art, I display my posters with flaws.

And days or dates written on the imprint area of a lobby card (that it was meant for), I dont even consider scars... but a poster living its life and what it was made for.

[eatbrie]

I go the opposite way and try my best not to buy posters with flaws.  I pass on so many posters and always wait for the cleanest copy available.  Since I'm not after anything specific, it's easy.  I move on to the next thing.

T

[50s]

It depends if someone likes history with their poster or not. I like to think a poster I have was once put up/ displayed to advertise, and writing in the dedicated window card blank area makes the connection dramatically more evident. I like snipes too and Belgian tax stamps and cinema info in header blank area. Writing in the image area I am not fond of. Mel's example can be covered by a framing matting or even folded over rather than chopping off.

I can understand collecting only mint posters too.

[jedgerley]

easy to miss with a quick glance but the theater kept this poster and wrote in a triple billing on the knife blade.


Close Encounters with a snipe covering the Blu Ray release date element box
No clue why it would be covered it has the same date as every Close Encounters poster I have seen.

[erik1925]

easy to miss with a quick glance but the theater kept this poster and wrote in a triple billing on the knife blade.

That kind of writing right in the center of the artwork would bother me (personally). My eyes go right to it, when i look at the photo.

[eatbrie]

It's kind of funny that they re-used the same Friday the 13th poster 5-6 years later for 1985 part V.  I would keep this poster for fun and get a clean version.

CEoTK, I would personally trash and get a clean one.

T

[jedgerley]

Thierry. Exactly I agree with you. I thought was kinda cool that it was used this way later on.
Actually bought it after having a clean copy. Backwards approach but it needed rescued.


Yeah CEoTK was a freebie while walking into the theater to see IT.
The manager was taking it out of the frame. Not really pressed to have a clean copy or this sniped one. Which I didn’t  realize was sniped until i got home.

Jeff

Yup it does pop right out for some and not so much for others. It would be nice touch  for a movie night at your home theatre. 

[erik1925]

Thierry. Exactly I agree with you. I thought was kinda cool that it was used this way later on.
Actually bought it after having a clean copy. Backwards approach but it needed rescued.


Yeah CEoTK was a freebie while walking into the theater to see IT.
The manager was taking it out of the frame. Not really pressed to have a clean copy or this sniped one. Which I didn’t  realize was sniped until i got home.

Jeff

Yup it does pop right out for some and not son much for others. It would be nice touch  for a movie night at your home theatre. 

I agree, Jason. It would be perfect for that. And I know you have other, clean copies of this, right? So this is a keeper for that unique reason. 

[brude]

I prefer 'em clean, the way the artist and/or designers envisioned them.
I can deal with folds and small tears, but handwriting -- even in the imprint area -- is a horror to me.

[guest4955]

Sent "The Killers" to Poster Mountain for LBing/repair.

They charged $150 for LBing and it looks quite good:



They also planned to charge $450 for full repair. To save money and to keep the poster "rough" looking (commensurate with the title and the "grim lovebirds" artwork), I told them just to repair:

[Simes]

Just to repair, or Just to LB?

[guest4955]

Got pics back from Poster Mountain, wanted LFIL perfect:

HA image:



Looked awful after it was refolded, sent to PM:



*****

But after 84 years of acid tanning, what did it look like in 1933 "hot off the presses"?

You can use this command and click on a white area, like her teeth or his shirt:





*****

That lil' trick is a miracle worker on old photos BTW:



 

[erik1925]

Other threads previously started on (or related to/touch on) this one (history-display/conceal), include these:

http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/topic,3155.0.html

http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/topic,889.0.html

http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/topic,10089.0.html

http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/topic,11058.0.html