Black Film Posters

There is a rich history of Black films and filmmaking in the United States that stems from the history of segregation, which created a need for separate films for separate audiences. Since mainstream Hollywood ignored Black audiences, Black filmmakers took the lead in making all Black or “colored” cast films for their audiences. These films have become known as race films. The goal was to shoot films for and about Black folks that were positive and uplifting, to counteract the stereotyped portrayals of mainstream movies. The era of race films dates from roughly 1912-1950 when following World War II movie theaters began to desegregate, Black culture began to be subsumed by white culture, and Black music, dancing, and other performances began to be seen as profitable by Hollywood studios.  Much like mainstream white movies, Black films were advertised and marketed to Black audiences through film posters. In many cases where the original films were not well preserved, all that remains as evidence of these films are posters.TIMELINE1912-1950 – Race films were made by Black filmmakers and producers with “All colored cast”1915 – Deeply racist film, The Birth of a Nation is screened, protests of which leads to the formation of the NAACP1919 – The Homesteader, first film written by Black Filmmaker Oscar Micheaux1923  – The Bull-dogger is filmed in Oklahoma by the Norman Manufacturing Company staring Black rodeo performer Bill Pickett1943 – Some of the first mainstream Hollywood films for Black audiences include Stormy Weather and Cabin in the Sky1948 – The Betrayal, last film written by Black Filmmaker Oscar Micheaux1953 – Movie theaters desegregated, resulting from a U.S. Supreme court ruling to desegregate restaurants, though many southern states would hold out for at least another decade. 1971 – Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, the first Blaxploitation film premieres, written and directed by Black filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles1984 – Art Sims designs film poster for Steven Speilberg’s The Color Purple1992 – John Duke Kisch published a book on his collection of Black film posters called A Separate Cinema1995 – Art Sims designs controversial film poster for Spike Lee’s Clockers1995 – Edward Mapp donates a substantial collection of Black film posters to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences collection in the Margaret Herrick Library2000 – Art Sims designs a controversial film poster for Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, depicting racist stereotypes, which audiences pushed back on, until they realized that designer and filmmaker were Black and the stereotypes were intentionally satirical.2000-2011  – The Mapp Collection, donated to Indiana University by Dr. Edward Mapp of New York City, consists of two series: Film Publicity, 1930-2002 and Films, 1934-2004.2005 –  Portions of Mapp's collection of Black-cast film posters toured the country with the Smithsonian’s Traveling Exhibition Service as Close Up in Black: African American Film Posters.2020 – John Kisch’s Collection was purchased by The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art REFERENCESArt Sims visionary designer of spike lee's movie posters gets NY honor at the AIGA national design center May 19th. (2010, May 17). PR Newswire https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/wire-feeds/art-sims-visionary-designer-spike-lees-movie/docview/288129084/se-2Caro, M. (1995, Sep 13). `CLOCKERS' AD CAMPAIGN GETTING A NEW LOOK: [NORTH SPORTS FINAL, CN EDITION]. Chicago Tribune (Pre-1997 Fulltext) Retrieved from https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.libproxy.uco.edu/newspapers/clockers-ad-campaign-getting-new-look/docview/283992830/se-2Collins, S. (1996, Feb 08). Leaving a paper trail; african americans spent many years at the periphery of hollywood in films with all-black casts. some posters the academy recently acquired are the only surviving chronicle of much of this history.: [home edition]. Los Angeles Times (Pre-1997 Fulltext) Retrieved from https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.libproxy.uco.edu/newspapers/leaving-paper-trail-african-americans-spent-many/docview/293272302/se-2Cripps, M. T. &. (2022, October 19). Close-Up in Black: African-American Films Posters from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Apparent First Edition). Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.Edward Mapp Collection, 1937-2011 - Archives online at Indiana University. (n.d.). https://archives.iu.edu/catalog/VAC1069Kisch, J., Nourmand, T., Lee, S., Gates, H. L., & Doggett, P. (2014, September 18). Separate Cinema: The First 100 Years of Black Poster Art (First Edition). Reel Art Press.Laski, B. (1995, September 18). U switches ‘Clockers’ art after ‘Anatomy’ lesson. Variety. https://variety.com/1995/scene/markets-festivals/u-switches-clockers-art-after-anatomy-lesson-99130142/McCluskey, A. T. (2003). Director’s Notes: Imaging Blackness, 1915-2002: Exhibit Documents Black Hollywood through Film Posters. Black Camera, 18(2), 1–2. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27761620Machemer, T. (2020, January 16). George Lucas' New Museum Acquires Major Archive of African American Film History. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/george-lucas-museum-acquires-huge-archive-african-american-cinema-180973999/Mapp, E., & McCluskey, A. T. (2003). An Interview with Dr. Edward Mapp: A Passion for Collecting Black Film. Black Camera, 18(2), 1–10. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27761621Martin, M.. (2018). GALLERY: Poster Art as Cultural Labor in the Cinematic Archive of Claire Denis. Black Camera, 10(1), 144–155. https://doi.org/10.2979/blackcamera.10.1.08Octane, & Octane. (2021). Celebrating America’s Pioneer Black Graphic Designers: Art Sims (1954 – Present) | Octane Design Studios. Octane Design Studios | #MoreThanGraphics. https://lexoctane.com/?p=15067Pearce-Doughlin, S., Goldsmith, A., & Hamilton, D. (2013). Colorism. In P. L. Mason (Ed.), Encyclopedia of race and racism (2nd ed.). Gale. Credo Reference: https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/galerace/colorism/0?institutionId=1845PrintMag. (2013, December 11). Spike Lee’s Other Poster Design Bamboozle: Saul Bass. PRINT Magazine. https://www.printmag.com/graphic-design/spike-lee-s-other-poster-design-bamboozle-saul-bass/Reid, M. A. (2005, March 17). Black Lenses, Black Voices: African American Film Now (Genre and Beyond: A Film Studies Series) (Edition Unstated). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.Richburg, C. (2016, March 27). Art Sims Talks Creating Iconic ‘New Jack City’ Movie Poster, Film’s 25th Anniversary. EURweb. https://eurweb.com/2016/03/27/art-sims-talks-creating-new-jack-city-movie-poster/Schaefer, S. (1995, September 8). Poster Imposter. EW.com. https://ew.com/article/1995/09/08/poster-imposter/Shivers, K. (2000, Mar 22). Sims shows how a picture is worth a box office hit. Los Angeles Sentinel. Retrieved from https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.libproxy.uco.edu/newspapers/sims-shows-how-picture-is-worth-box-office-hit/docview/369327904/se-2Smith, I. H. (2018, October 3). Selling the Movie: The Art of the Film Poster. University of Texas Press.Stevens, I_._ (2020, June 3) I turn my back on you: black movie poster art | The pictures | Sight & Sound. British Film Institute. https://www2.bfi.org.uk/explore-film-tv/sight-sound-magazine/sight-sound-articles/features/pictures/i-turn-my-back-you-blackType Directors Club. (2020, December 2). Kelly Walters - Ain’t dat a shame [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8sLYAFnCdEWeb Editor. (2022, February 2). The Activists who Desegregated Arlington’s Movie Theaters. https://library.arlingtonva.us/2022/02/02/the-activists-who-desegregated-arlingtons-movie-theaters/#:~:text=Finally%2C%20in%201953%2C%20a%20U.S.,to%20local%20theaters%20as%20well.Wilson, M., & Benson, O. (2014). Colorism. In S. Thompson (Ed.), Encyclopedia of diversity and social justice. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Credo Reference: https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/rowmandasj/colorism/0?institutionId=1845