A Brief Early History of Film Posters

One of the first things that the movie poster performed was the function of promoting the fact that moving pictures were being screened. They didn't necessarily target one film or film type but simply drew attention to the art.

The above image was considered a one-sheet lithograph, used to promote the earliest public screened motion picture entertainments. The Lumiere Cinematograph and the Edison Vitascope were among the first to do this beginning in 1895 and 1896.

France had a unique way of using color lithography, and  The color revolution: color lithography in France 1890-1900  by Phillip Dennis Cate and Sinclair Hamilton Hitchings provides an excellent breakdown of the revolution, along with examples.

To the left we can see an example page of lithographs from the 1890s, which Cate and Hitchings consider 'The Revolution Era.'

Each of these present a unique twist on color and demonstrate the specific changes in France when it came to lithographs and their development. As the authors state in regard to La Goulue an Moulin Rouge (top left), "stylistically its dramatic break with past work in color (including that by the much admired Cheret) indicates not only a new phase in the development of French poster art but also in color lithography per se." (17, Cate and Hitchings)

Another French lithograph example is titled  May Milton  and was created in 1895 by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. This is considered one of his boldest compositions and is connected to Moulin Rouge.

As lithographs adapted and created their impact, the discussion of movie posters entered the US. As seen with the Edison Vitascope there was already a rumbling in 1895, but soon posters became intertwined with advertising.

Early discussions of movie posters were published in 1900 by Sears, Roebuck who promoted films themselves, as can be seen in the image below.

Generalized posters were offered by Hennegan and Company, who were the most notable of the lithographic companies that were printing moving picture posters.

The image to the left is a price breakdown of posters, dependent on the number of sheets and the design, from 1905. The three sheets were considered best for moving pictures.

Hennegan and Company offered posters were various films. They were four-color half-sheet posters, and of the seventeen films that they featured, one of them was The Great Train Robbery. These films were selected because they were believed to be the most popular among audiences.

Below you can see the four posters that were shown for The Great Train Robbery, these were shared along with the pricing pictured to the left.

Above you can view The Great Train Robbery and gather an idea of what was considered popular at the time when it came to moving pictures.

With the growth of the early movie poster, Nickelodeon's also grew in number in 1905, which were the first type of indoor exhibition space dedicated to moving pictures. In an effort to attract an audience, they knew that having effective advertisement was even more necessary. But with a lack of support from film companies, it was difficult to get this support. Even after receiving some semblance of support, it was difficult for producers to keep up with demand.

In July 1909, an article was published in  Moving Picture World , where film producers were reprimanded for their lack of support and desire to spend money for promotional material. (405, Fuller-Seeley)

This article ends by stating: "We trust, that in drawing attention to this matter, we shall not be credited with any other intention than that of desiring to see the moving picture lifted above the crudities of productive error which only too frequently disfigure it." (1909, Moving Picture World)

Lithographers and independent film producers had to complete this work on their own in order to provide these posters to nickelodeon operators.

Finally, in 1909, Edison and the General Film Company studios finally began printing posters for each film brand. (406, Fuller-Seeley)

With General Film Company studios entering the mix, the business of nickelodeon exhibitors increased and posters became more of a hot commodity.

As the years went by, the film industry was changing, and by 1915 there was a new generation of film production companies. These companies had control over their own film distribution, and soon marketing began to have more of an effect on posters.

This standardization was so effective that Epes Winthrop Sargent, a Variety columnist, published his exhibitors guide titled  Picture Theater Advertising .

"He considered the film poster situation now optimized by the studios and their distribution arms for the needs of large urban theaters and small town houses alike, and concentrated all his efforts on writing effective newspaper advertisements and creating special on-site publicity stunts." (417, Fuller-Seeley)

Through this brief early history of film posters, we can see how quickly their use change and adapted. With increasing technology and a newfound understanding of moving pictures, studios turned to posters to promote their works.

Now films are as different as ever in comparison to the early years, but the heart of film still remains, and an understanding of what they do for us as individuals and a society.