Alan - You make a wonderful point along the lines as I was thinking. I've had several rare opportunities in my life getting to see outside collections in person. 1) Ron Borst's amazing horror posters. 2) The rare recordings collection at the Smithsonian when I was in high school. 3) Louis Leithold's collection par excellence. 4) The chance to see a wonderful private car and phonograph collection in Vancouver, Canada. (I was born in the wrong period and I've always been fascinated by antique phonographs.)
Not to get political I always consider my taxes somehow find their way to the upkeep and curating of the collections at the Smithsonian Institute. All these memories stand out in my mind as chance to see and hear material I otherwise would never have had the chance to experience. The car and phonograph collector rarely opens up his collection to the public. Friends and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I've never put in words before but I think you hit the nail on the head. *"I’m simply someone who requires a large amount of eye candy in his life on a daily, if not hourly basis." * I would never have the financial resources to replicate any of these collections and seeing them gathered all in one place was a bit overwhelming. I'm so grateful for these memories. I think I probably should get a job at the new Academy Museum! Glenn On Tue, Oct 15, 2019 at 7:11 PM Alan Adler <[email protected]> wrote: > Nice thread - great to see some spirited conversation on the subject. > > I started collecting 1950’s sci-fi posters in 1957 at the age of 9. My > whole collection came out of the trash and I’ve lived my entire adult life > off those wonderful trashures (new word?). My book SCI-FI AND HORROR MOVIE > POSTERS IN FULL COLOR by Dover in NY (1977) was the first book published in > the US that looked at genre advertising as an art form. In the early > 1990’s, I founded the 20th Century Fox Archives and served as Exec. > Director for 10 years, curating the first Fox museum, THE HALL OF COOL > STUFF, in Sydney. I realized 2 things - Organization creates value and the > fact that I could handle and enjoy much more material if I didn’t have to > own it. It taught me about letting go and getting pleasure from it. I’m > simply someone who requires a large amount of eye candy in his life on a > daily, if not hourly basis. I’ve devoted my life to saving, protecting, > showing, validating and supporting the history of posters. Cobalt blue runs > in my veins. I have passed most of my material along to newer generations > of collectors, but still feel like my collection is intact - stored sweetly > somewhere deep inside my id. The things that have stuck with me for the > long run have not necessarily been the most valuable - had to sell those > items - but perhaps the silliest or most memorable to me - like a WIN A > DEAD BODY window card I got from Dr. Gore, aka Pat Patterson, Jr. - I have > no one in particular to leave my findings to - but have had as good a time > letting them go as pulling them from the garbage. In the end it's all just > colored paper - what that paper celebrates is the magic and religion of the > movies. > > Alan Adler > Museum of Mom and Pop Culture > > On Oct 15, 2019, at 5:42 PM, Glenn Taranto <[email protected]> wrote: > > Phillip - > > That's so cool. I, too, have given posters as gifts and I never get over > how thrilled friends are to get an "actual movie poster" as a gift. > > Though, interestingly while they display the poster, they've never been > bitten by the bug. Maybe they see how much a CASABLANCA poster costs! > > Glenn > > On Tue, Oct 15, 2019 at 5:22 PM Phillip Ayling <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Glen, >> >> >> >> That is an interesting question. I am 67 and started collecting in the >> early 1960’s when I was about 10 years old. I got most of my items from >> poster services, though I had no real idea what they had or didn’t have. In >> the early years I might just see a movie on TV or in a theatre and send a >> post card off to one of the Services in hopes they had something. >> >> >> >> Over the years I have actually given some of them to friends and family >> and in almost all cases they become centerpieces of interest in whichever >> room they are placed. >> >> >> >> *From:* MoPo List [mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Glenn >> Taranto >> *Sent:* Tuesday, October 15, 2019 3:22 PM >> *To:* [email protected] >> *Subject:* [MOPO] What I think while hunting for Wheeler and Woolsey >> material... >> >> >> >> I was wondering what the average age of folks on the MOPO list is. I've >> been around the hobby for 20 years now. And it seems most of the people >> here who speak up have been around just long and, sorry, much longer. If >> the next 20 years go as fast as the last 20 years I'll be 80 by the time I >> hit send on this email. >> >> >> >> I've been pondering what would happen to my collection after I'm gone. >> Wondering if it would be better in an institutional setting or scattered to >> the four winds by being in the hands of collectors. >> >> >> >> So, yeah, that's what I'm thinking as I peruse poster sights looking for >> more Wheeler and Woolsey stuff! LOL! >> >> >> >> Glenn >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> >> To unsubscribe from the MoPo-L list, click the following link: >> https://listserv.american.edu/scripts/wa-american.exe?SUBED1=MoPo-L&A=1 >> > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the MoPo-L list, click the following link: > https://listserv.american.edu/scripts/wa-american.exe?SUBED1=MoPo-L&A=1 > > > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
