Library Holdings
Books and Pamphlets
The library’s 32,000 volumes include numerous books on cinema history and criticism, biographies and genre studies, as well as books on every aspect of the filmmaking process. The collection ranges from pre-cinema era treatises to the most up-to-date texts on motion picture technology, and includes important English and foreign-language reference sources from around the world. Among the many rare items: Eadweard Muybridge’s 1881 first edition of Attitudes of Animals in Motion and a copy of Gone with the Wind autographed by the film’s principal cast members, producer and director. More
Core Collection Files
Divided into five categories – Production, Biography, Subject, Awards and Festivals, and Academy History – these files include a treasure trove of press clippings, studio advertising and publicity material and photographs as well as Academy documents, publications and Oscar telecast scripts. More
Oral History Program
Interviews with prominent industry figures document their lives and careers and cover subjects ranging from art direction and film editing to censorship and Academy history. Each of the interviews has been transcribed, edited and indexed. More
Periodicals
More than 2,400 periodical titles cover filmmaking from the 1900s to the present. Most are U.S. publications, but the collection features English-language magazines from several foreign countries as well. Holdings include studio in-house publications, industry trade journals and microfilm editions of rare periodicals. More
Photographs
Scene stills, wardrobe and makeup test shots, location reference stills, premieres, behind-the-scenes shots, candid photos, and images of studios, theaters and landmarks make up just some of the library’s 10 million-plus photographs. Mostly original black-and-white prints, the collection also includes negatives (black-and-white and color), color slides and transparencies, motion picture film frames, glass negatives and slides. More
Poster Collection
The library’s 35,000-plus film posters range in subject from early novelty amusements to current theatrical releases. In sizes from one-sheet to 24-sheet, the posters were created to advertise feature films, shorts and documentaries. Most were produced in the U.S., although the collection features foreign-produced posters for U.S. and non-U.S. films as well. The library has a sizable collection of stone lithographs from the early decades of the past century. More
Scripts
The Core Collection contains screenplays for more than 10,000 films from 1910 to the present. Most are unpublished, manuscript versions in various forms – from step outlines and treatments to first drafts, revised and final drafts and cutting continuities. The collection includes scripts for silent films, foreign language films, documentaries, animated features and shorts and cult favorites. Some highlights include scripts for “The Maltese Falcon,” “The Triplets of Belleville,” “Finding Nemo,” “Million Dollar Baby” and “The Passion of the Christ.” Additional screenplays can be found in the library’s Special Collections. More
Special Collections
The library collects a rich array of materials documenting the lives and careers of prominent individuals and organizations. Items found in the more than 1,000 Special Collections include scripts in various drafts, personal and business correspondence, costume and production design drawings, sheet music, music scores, sound recordings and scrapbooks. Among the major collections are those from John Huston, Alfred Hitchcock, Katharine Hepburn, Sam Peckinpah, Hal Ashby, George Roy Hill, Cary Grant, Mary Pickford, Gregory Peck, Sammy Cahn and Edith Head. More
