Lobby Cards: The Classic Films — Pomegranate 1987

📖 Lobby Cards: The Classic Films by Kathryn Leigh Scott (1987, Pomegranate Press, Ltd.) — A Benjamin Franklin Award-winning collection of classic Hollywood lobby cards from the Michael Hawks collection, spanning silent cinema through the Golden Age. This first printing in VG+/NF condition with dust jacket.

QUICK FACTS

• Author: Kathryn Leigh Scott (actress, author, publisher)
• Foreword: Joan Bennett
• Publisher: Pomegranate Press, Ltd., Los Angeles / London
• Year: 1987 (First Printing)
• Format: Oblong quarto hardcover in dust jacket
• Pages: 174 | ISBN: 0-938817-11-6 (978-0938817116)
• LoC Card: 87-061592
• Condition: Book: Very Good+ (VG+)/Near Fine (NF) / Jacket: Very Good (VG) — full report below

THE STORY

Lobby cards were 11″x14″ promotional placards displayed in theater lobbies to advertise upcoming films. From the silent era through the 1970s, studios commissioned vivid, hand-painted and photographic artwork that has since become some of the most collectible material in cinema memorabilia. This volume showcases over 120 lobby cards assembled by collector Michael Hawks, covering the full arc of classic Hollywood.

Kathryn Leigh Scott — actress, author, and publisher known for her work in classic horror cinema — provides the text, while Joan Bennett, Hollywood legend and descendant of the founders of the German theatrical film business, contributes the foreword. Together they frame the collection as both a visual archive and a history of film marketing art.

THIS EDITION

This is the first printing of the standard hardcover edition, published in 1987 by Pomegranate Press, Ltd. (Los Angeles and London). The oblong quarto volume was designed by Nikosey Design and Steele Works Design, with book jacket design by Tom Nikosey. Photographic reproduction by Ben Martin, research by Kathleen Resch. The text was typeset in Goudy Oldstyle Condensed by Marchese Graphics, Los Angeles, and printed and bound in Japan by Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd., Tokyo.

A separate Portfolio Edition (ISBN 0-938817-12-4) was also released; this listing is the standard hardcover first printing.

ILLUSTRATIONS

Full-color reproductions of lobby cards throughout, one per page with facing text essays on cream paper. The cards are reproduced at near-original 11″x14″ size. Films featured include Shanghai Express (Dietrich/Brook, directed by Josef von Sternberg, Paramount), The Mummy (Karloff, Universal), The Gold Rush (Chaplin), Beyond the Rocks (Swanson, Paramount), The Maltese Falcon (Bogart/Astor), As You Desire Me (Garbo), and The Robe (Gish). Additional titles span from Casablanca and Gone with the Wind to Citizen Kane and Gilda.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Coffee Table Book — one of the publishing industry’s most respected independent awards
• One of two Lobby Cards volumes by Scott (companion: Lobby Cards: The Classic Comedies), both published in the UK by Bloomsbury
• Lobby cards from Casablanca, Citizen Kane, Gone with the Wind, and other Golden Age titles are among the most sought-after items in cinema memorabilia collecting
• The foreword by Joan Bennett connects the collection to Hollywood’s own living history — she was the last surviving star from the silent era at the time of publication

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? First printing, 1987. Published by Pomegranate Press, Ltd., Los Angeles and London. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 87-061592. This is the standard hardcover — not the Portfolio Edition.

What condition is it in? Book: Very Good+ (VG+)/Near Fine (NF) — dark grey cloth boards clean with bright silver lettering, tight binding, clean pages. Dust jacket: Very Good (VG) — unclipped, light edge wear, some rubbed/faded titling on front cover. Full report below.

Is this the same as the Portfolio Edition? No. The Portfolio Edition (ISBN 0-938817-12-4) is a separate release. This is the standard hardcover first printing (ISBN 0-938817-11-6).

FOR COLLECTORS

The Michael Hawks collection represents a significant assemblage of classic Hollywood promotional art. First printings of this title are uncommon in this condition — the grey cloth binding tends to show shelf wear, and dust jackets from this period are frequently damaged. This copy’s clean boards and intact jacket make it a strong collectible specimen.

CONDITION REPORT

Overall Grade: Book: Very Good+ (VG+)/Near Fine (NF) / Jacket: Very Good (VG)

Cover & Spine: Dark grey cloth boards are clean and sharp with bright silver lettering to the spine. Spine ends are firm, a little surface rubbing at corners of spine tail.

Dust Jacket: Unclipped dust jacket has some light edge surface wear, no marks or tears. Artwork on front and back cover is bright and original. Titling on the front cover is rubbed/faded.

Text Block & Pages: Pages are clean, bright off-white, and unmarked throughout.

Binding: Square, tight, and sound.

See accompanying images for full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

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