Hollywood on the Bayou PRESENTS
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Ed and Susan Poole

Film Accessory Researchers

Ed and Susan Poole

For over 40 years Ed and Susan Poole have been involved with documenting, recording and preserving film accessories (i.e., press books, movie stills, movie posters, general press materials, etc.).  Their path has evolved from being just collectors to retail and wholesale dealers and eventually to full time researchers. 

Their accomplishments on a national and international level include:

  • Published the first reference book on movie posters, Collecting Movie Posters, released in 1997 by McFarland Publishers.
  • Published 20 additional reference books including:  Learn About Movie Posters; Learn About International Movie Posters; Movie Still Identification Book; Legality of U.S. Movie Posters; Movie Trailer Identification Codes; National Screen Service Accessory Codes; Production Code Basics; and the Silent Studio Directory
  • In 2001, developed the first reference website on movie posters designed for novice to intermediate level collectors:  LearnAboutMoviePosters.com
  • In 2005, developed the first and only cross referenced research film accessory database with 100,000 images online:  MoviePosterDataBase.com.
  • In 2009, developed the first and only advance research website for documenting press still codes, lithographer plate numbers, etc. – now in a member only research site.
  • In 2012, developed the first research site dedicated to researching movie stills. Stills research is membership only, but also has a public stills archive with over 15,000 stills online arranged by film star.
  • In 2019, developed the only database dedicated to movie still production codes to help identify unknown movie stills, costumes and props : MovieStillID.com

 

In 2010, the Pooles realized that documentation of local film history was basically non-existent.  The Pooles are firm believers that the research and documentation of this history is a necessary foundation for development of many associated industries such as tourism and education.

 

LFH-bookCover-sm.jpgThe Pooles are on a quest to BUILD that foundation through:

 
Books:  Researching and releasing several books to develop a starting foundation  including: Hollywood On The Bayou, and Louisiana Film History: A Comprehensive Overview Beginning 1896. Since then, they have released Crescent City Cinema Movie Posters, Heroine to Hussy: Women in Louisiana Films, Louisiana Plantations: Real to Reel and America’s First Movie Theater: Louisiana’s Vitascope Hall.

Exhibits:  In February 2012, the first exhibit on Louisiana Film History was opened at Ellender Memorial Library at Nicholls State University and ran for 4 months during their Jubilee.  Since that time, numerous exhibits have been shown throughout the southern part of the state including  a 6 month exhibit in the Louisiana section of the State Library of Louisiana.  

LouisianaHussy-sm.jpg

Film Prints:Some of the most iconic films ever put on the screen have been made in Louisiana. The Pooles have recreated over 75 vintage movie posters on 12”x18” glossy card stock. These are professionally printed and made available to “friends” organizations and fund raising groups.

Lectures/Presentations: Dozens of presentations have been presented to schools, libraries, and historic groups on different phases of Louisiana Film History and include clips of vintage film trailers, newspaper clippings and behind the scenes stories and Vitascope Hall (the first seated indoor theater in the U.S. in 1896).

Research: Reconstruction of lost Louisiana film history led to start of new projects to help reconstruct lost U.S. film history and the first ground breaking project of their Silent Studio Directory reconstructing over 2000 production and distribution studios worldwide including  principles, addresses, primary information and logos.

Training: After developing a full day training program for the archival staff at LSU and HNOC, the Pooles are also working on a series of training classes and Certification program for institutional staff  and associated fields to stabilized the education and preservation of film accessories.  

Academic: In 2016, the Pooles joined with retired producer Linda Thurman to create the Movie Poster Archives which is the first non-profit organization dedicated to the research, documentation, education and preservation of all types of film accessories.   One major objective is the development of the first physical and digital repositories.

Websites: HollywoodOnTheBayou.com is online and has over 50 vintage Louisiana trailers and lists of Louisiana films by time period AND by Parish. This is a sister site for their larger research websites LearnAboutMoviePosters.com; MoviePosterDataBase.com and MovieStillID.com.
 

Film Reference books by Ed & Susan Poole

1. Collecting Movie Posters - 1997 - first reference book on the hobby - published by MacFarland publishers - MacFarland still retains distribution

2. Learn About Movie Posters - 2002 - expanded reference book on the hobby - published by Iguide Publications -

3. LAMP Dealers Market - 2007 - experimental 800 page book that was a compilation of 60,000 prices from LAMP Dealers around the world. only edition released and now available only on LAMP

4. U.S. Movie Studio Production Code Book - 2007 - first compilation of 18,000 production codes on 13 major U.S. studios with studio histories and analysis of the codes - retired

5. U.S. Movie Studio Production Code Book - 2008 - expanded edition to 22,000 codes plus addition of indexing to cross reference the codes. retired

6. Legality of U.S. Movie Posters - 2008 - based on research as expert witness in 4 major trials involving the movie studios and posters. It includes the production process for making lobby cards and posters and examines the taging process and takeover of National Screen Service for U.S. distribution. retired for updating and now available only on LAMP advance.

7. Learn About International Movie Posters - 2008 - breakdown of 38 countries with country film histories, poster information, markings, censorship, poster artists and more. Still available in LAMP bookstore and only one of it's kind

8. Movie Studio Production Codes - 2009 - complete re-format by eliminating histories and indexes and presenting codes in numeric or alphabetical formats - combination of earlier production codes plus expansion to 25,000 codes with addition of minor and multi-country studios. - retired

9. National Screen Service Trailer Logs - 2009 - compilation of 15,000 NSS trailer codes from 1930-1962 for trailer identification and title release information. still available in LAMP bookstore

10. National Screen Service Poster & Accessory Number Log - 2010 - history of National Screen Service and compilation of 25,000 NSS poster numbers from 1940-1999. available in the member section and LAMP bookstore

11. Movie Still Identification Book - 2011 - rename (previously the Movie Studio Production Code Book) and expansion with additional codes and addition of 5000 portrait codes to total 32,000 codes with more guides and explanations. available in member section and LAMP bookstore

12. Hollywood on the Bayou - 2011 - experimental specialized book on the state of Louisiana documenting 1170 films made in or about Louisiana. This book was retired and replaced by Louisiana Film History

13. Louisiana Film History: the First Hundred Years 1896-1996 - 2012 - the first complete history of the film industry of Louisiana. It takes a glimpse of the birth of the movie theater and the major influence Louisiana has had on the film industry through the years. retired and replaced by Louisiana Film History: Comprehensive Overview Beginning 1896

14. Louisiana Film History: Comprehensive Overview Beginning 1896 - 2013 - and expansion and combination of the previous book to include Hollywood on the Bayou book AND Louisiana Film History and brought up to 2010.

15. - Movie Still Identification Book - 2013 - Over 45,400 codes to help identify unknown movie production, portrait, studio, series and television stills. This renamed edition replaced the 4 earlier editions (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011) of U.S. and International Production Code books.

16. Crescent City Cinema - 2013 - Since the beginning of film, there has been a love affair between New Orleans and the movie industry. The first seated theater in the United States was opened in New Orleans in July 1896. The first film production company came to New Orleans in 1898 to film Mardi Gras, and film production has been a major part of the city ever since. available on our HollywoodOnTheBayou.com website and Amazon

17. Production Code Basics - 2014 - For Movie Still Collectors is the first reference book written on how to use movie still production codes to help identify unknown movie stills and costumes. Covers every phase from the initial creation and why they were needed and then, moves through the filming process to show the use of stills through each department. Also included is a breakdown of major studios and different variations each studio used. Explanations are included on the process outside of the major studios and cover such area as states rights, exports, independent studios, distribution, multiple markings and much more

18. Heroine to Hussy: Women in Louisiana Films - 2014 - Heroine to Hussy: Women in Louisiana Films is a look at the female characters through the years and how they were portrayed. Your journey stars with the first feature film produced in Louisiana, Mephisto and the Maiden in 1909 and how a friar gives his soul for 2 hours with the maiden. It countinues through the decades from Evangeline to Jezebel with film synopsis and showing gorgeous full color images of the posters advertising them. We included a special tribute to Louisiana's first lady of film - Leatrice Joy Ziedler. available on our HollywoodOnTheBayou.com website and Amazon

19. Louisiana Plantations: Real to Reel - 2014 - A history of 38 plantations of Louisiana and the films that have been made there, starting in 1917. available on our HollywoodOnTheBayou.com website and Amazon

20. Silent Studio Directory - 2015 - The first of its kind research book documenting over 2000 production and distribution studios worldwide during the silent era. Includes principles, addresses, primary information and logos, when available. This book marks the first step to reconstructing "lost" film information.

21. Movie Still Identification Book - 2015 - the 6th edition in a 2 volume set with over 50,000 production codes to help identify unknown movie stills and costumes.

22. America's First Movie Theater - Louisiana's Vitascope Hall - 2016 - this book outlines the journey of todays cinema from a cave in Spain to a store front in New Orleans in 1896.

23. - Movie Poster Artists: Volume 1 - U.S. and Canada - 2016 - this edition covers 242 movie poster artists from the U.S and Canada with their signatures, a brief bio, filmography and images of their posters. This was released in a color version and a black and white version.

24. Movie Still Identification Supplement - 2018 - this final supplement updates the 2011, 2013 and 2015 editions to 58,000+ codes.

The followup to the Movie Still Identification series was the creation of the Production Code Database which went online with 70,000+ codes in January 2019. It is available online in the LearnAboutMoviePoster Member Section.

In 2016, was co-founder of the first non-profit dedicated to the documentation and preservation of film accessories (movie posters, stills, pressbooks, etc.) Movie Poster Archives, a 501 c3 non-profit and continues as head archivist.

   We thank you for visiting our website and hope that you enjoy it.  If you have any questions, suggestions, comments or criticisms,

Contact:

For Louisiana projects: edp@HollywoodOnTheBayou.com;

For national or international projects: edp@LearnAboutMoviePosters.com; or call 504-298-LAMP (5267)

For non-profit or archive services: linda@MoviePosterArchives.org



   ed and Susan Poole

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