Film Collecting
Film collecting is a hobby that involves the acquisition and preservation of motion pictures, often focusing on vintage films produced from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. This practice gained traction in the 1930s when personal film projectors became accessible, allowing enthusiasts to curate their collections of silent films and early talkies. Collectors often seek out classic films featuring renowned actors like Charlie Chaplin, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart, as well as specific genres such as horror and animation. The condition of film reels is crucial to their value, with well-preserved items commanding higher prices.
While some collectors aim for profit, many are drawn to the nostalgia and appreciation of the art form, enjoying the unique viewing experiences provided by old formats. Interest in film collecting can fluctuate based on trends, such as the rediscovery of lost films or the popularity of particular genres. Collectors may also engage with various types of film memorabilia beyond just the films themselves. For those interested in this fascinating intersection of art, history, and technology, resources such as museums and literature on the subject can enhance their understanding and enjoyment of film collecting.
Film Collecting
History
The motion picture was perhaps the definitive art form of the twentieth century, though film technology was first developed as early as 1824. That year, British doctor Peter Mark Roget wrote an influential paper on the ability of eyes to interpret a series of images, prompting many inventors to create devices that could test his theories.
A series of breakthroughs in film technology came in the years that followed. In the 1890s, Thomas Edison built a small structure in New Jersey in which he experimented with film and photography. This building, named Black Maria, was the world's first motion picture studio.
Soon after, the Lumière brothers in France invented the cinematograph. The Lumières used this device to stage the world's first public film screening in 1895.
At the turn of the century, French filmmaker Georges Méliès created the world's first narrative films. These films, including A Trip to the Moon (1902), are the first to make use of several fundamental film techniques and special effects. Méliès was the first filmmaker to use the one-reeler, a single long strip of film wound around a reel and played in a simple projector.
The Great Train Robbery, a 1903 film by Edward S. Porter, is often considered the first narrative film in American cinema. While producing The Great Train Robbery in Edison's studio, Porter invented the concept of film editing.
American filmmaker D. W. Griffith made some of the first feature-length narrative films during the early decades of the twentieth century. Griffith is often considered the innovator of modern cinema, as he was the first director to use the close-up and several other techniques. Due to the absence of spoken dialogue and sound effects, the films of this period are known as "silent films."
People began collecting motion pictures in the 1930s, when small film projectors were first made available for private use. Modern film collectors are most commonly interested in obtaining film reels from the era that begins with Edison and the Lumières and ends shortly after the first talking pictures, or "talkies," arrived in the 1930s. Films from this period are known as "vintage" or "classic" films among collectors.
However, not all collectors are interested exclusively in vintage films. Many movie lovers collect videotapes or digital video (or "versatile") discs (DVDs). The hobby of collecting films, still movie images (known simply as "stills"), old film equipment, and movie memorabilia is sometimes referred to as "cinematographica."
Things to Look For
The condition of a film reel is important to note, as this factor greatly affects an item's value. Films that are free of dust, stains, warping, and other signs of degeneration typically hold a high value.
In general, vintage films from the silent era are coveted among collectors. The works of Charlie Chaplin, Lon Chaney, D. W. Griffith, Buster Keaton, Sarah Bernhardt, and Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are some of the most popular.
Some of the most-collected early talkies are those starring actors such as Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Lionel Barrymore, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and Bette Davis. Films featuring Edward G. Robinson, which include Public Enemy (1931) and Scarface (1932), are also very popular.
Some films are valuable due to their social context, impact, or notoriety. D. W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation (1915), though considered one of the greatest films ever made, has long been criticized for its overt racism. The sexually explicit Czech film Ecstasy (1933) is a collector's item because it was banned in the United States.
An original 35 mm film and its 16 mm restoration will have different individual values, which should be noted by collectors.
When purchasing a vintage film from a private owner, it is important to know the film's appraised value. Many sellers will inflate the price of a film to take advantage of uninformed collectors.
Trends
Trends in film collecting are often based on genre. Vintage horror films and newsreels are examples of genres that tend to be popular among certain collectors. Early animated films, such as those starring Popeye, Mickey Mouse, and Bugs Bunny, represent another popular trend in film collecting.
As certain genres fall out of the mainstream, interest among collectors may grow. Silent films have not been mass-produced since the 1930s, and are therefore of great interest to modern collectors due to their uniqueness and rarity.
When a body of work by a certain director or actor becomes largely lost or destroyed, interest in the remaining works can grow significantly. Similarly, films that were thought to be lost are sometimes found or restored, generating new interest among collectors.
DVDs were introduced in the 1990s, and have become a popular format for collecting and viewing films. With their unparalleled resolution and quality, DVDs offer what some consider the richest viewing experience of any format.
Film Collecting for Fun vs. Profit
Though some vintage films are extremely valuable, collectors need not seek only profitable items for their collections. Many people collect vintage films simply to enjoy the viewing experience of the now-defunct formats.
Some modern collectors are old enough to remember watching classic films in local theaters when they were young. Part of the appeal of collecting classic films is the nostalgia associated with old movies.
Learning More
Museums
American Film Institute, Los Angeles, California
British Film Institute, London, England
George Eastman House, New York City, New York
Museum of Modern Art, New York
Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, New York
Books
Brownlow, Kevin. The Parade's Gone By. Berkley: University of California Press, 1976.
Lahue, Kalton C. Collecting Classic Films. New York: American Photographic Book Publishing Co., 1970.
Rubin, Samuel K. Moving Pictures and Classic Images: Memories of Forty Years in the Vintage Film Hobby. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2004.
Scheuer, Stephen H. The Pocket Guide to Collecting Movies on DVD. New York: Pocket Books, 2003.