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Current Exhibition
“Lost Treasure from Cinema’s Golden Age”
Constructed in the early 1890s, and hosting opera, vaudeville and finally motion
pictures over its lifespan until it burned to the ground in 1978, the Loew’s Grand
Theater was an opulent Art Deco style movie palace located at the corner of Peachtree
and Forsyth Street, and had the distinction of hosting the “Gone With the Wind”
world premiere in 1939.
During the 1930s and 1940s, the Loew’s Grand employed two full-time movie poster
artists to create the displays that were exhibited in the theater lobby and at the
front entrance. Printed promotional material, shipped to theaters from Hollywood,
was never used at the Loew’s Grand. These handmade signs and posters instead imparted
a greater elegance and prestige to the moviegoer’s experience.
Charles Reece Collier and Sid Smith were two poster artists employed by the Loew’s
Grand during this time. Many of the boards displayed here are signed front or back
by either Mr. Collier or Mr. Smith. Also recognizable here are many of the famous
stars of Hollywood’s golden age: Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Katharine Hepburn and
Marlene Dietrich, for example.
The artists worked backstage, where ample space was available for paints, chalks,
boards and all the supplies of the trade. The artwork was drawn on large poster
boards in pastels or hand-painted in vibrant colors. Three-dimensional lettering
was cut for the film title and the names of the stars. New posters were typically
created weekly or whenever the feature film changed, since some titles were held
over for two weeks or more. After being placed on exhibit, the artwork was usually
discarded at the end of the film run.
About 70 of the original movie advertising boards were found in storage at the Loew’s
Grand before its demise in a fire in 1978. Fifteen of those are displayed here.
Because the work was never intended to last more than a week or so, most of the
pieces show evidence of time’s passage. Some of the works here were meant to be
studies for later finished pieces. Each poster shows the confident hand work and
the incredible skill needed to master this forgotten craft.
Exhibit text courtesy of Herb Bridges
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