Movie poster artists are without a doubt some of the most overlooked contributors to cinematic history. Ever since short form films began to be shown publicly in the late 19th century, there were posters (or then simple 8 x 10 inch lobby cards) enticing audiences to fork over their hard earned cash. Initially these lobby cards simply included a sensational description of the moving pictures that were being projected, much like a newspaper headline. However, beginning in the early 1900’s, studios began hiring artists to add equally sensational illustrations to their tag lines. Hence the movie poster was born. Through the 1930’s studios would attach posters and lobby cards to the reels of film sent to theaters (back then most theaters were owned by the studios themselves). Once the film had its run, most posters were just thrown out by the theaters. Starting in 1940, a organization was set up…
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