The Historical and Source-Based Aspects of Studying Early Russian Silent Film Posters of 1908—1919
https://doi.org/10.25281/2072-3156-2022-19-2-172-181
Abstract
The Russian State Library holds one of the largest collections of Russian posters. Film posters from the time before the cinematography nationalization in 1919 are presented there in more than 250 sheets. Most of them advertise Russian films, more than a third — foreign ones, 25 sheets — documentary cinematography and newsreels of the Russian branch of the French firm “Pathé Brothers”.
Recently, there has been a growing researchers’ interest in this period. Active popularization is being carried out by holding exhibitions and publishing catalogs of the largest collections, this phenomenon is discussed in detail at the beginning of the article.
As well as cinematography, a film poster is a synthetic work. It represents a piece of graphic art, which is a commercial advertisement for another type of art. This research is aimed at studying film posters as a historical source that can tell us a lot: about characteristic social trends, about filmmaking as a process and about films themselves, about tendencies in the visual arts, about advertising of that period in general and about itself as a new type of advertising in particular.
The article shows the history of the film poster formation as a product of commercial advertising and its subsequent development into a separate type of spectacular poster. There is analyzed its potential as a source on the history of cinema. In conclusion, the film posters are presented as a reflection of the era and society, which reacts to fundamental changes in the country.
About the Author
Ekaterina M. Mikhalkina
Russian State Library;Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Russian State Library, 3/5, Vozdvizhenka Str., Moscow, 119019, Russia
Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, 3, Vilgelma Pika Str., Moscow, 129226, Russia
ORCID 0000-0003-1346-7673; SPIN 1294-1923
References
1. Baburina N.I. Plakat nemogo kino. Rossiya, 1900—1930 [Silent Film Poster. Russia, 1900—1930]. Moscow, ART-RODNIK Publ., 2001, 191 p.
2. Kinoplakat: iz sobraniya Russkogo muzeya [Film Poster: From the Russian Museum’s Collection]. St. Petersburg, Palace Editions Publ., 2014, 120 p.
3. Plakat nemogo kino v sobranii Gosudarstvennogo muzeya istorii Sankt-Peterburga. 1914—1919: al’bom-katalog [Silent Film Posters Stored in the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg. 1914—1919: album catalog]. St. Petersburg, Gosudarstvennyi Muzei Istorii Sankt-Peterburga Publ., 2018, 191 p.
4. Rannii russkii kinoplakat, 1908—1919: iz sobraniya Rossiiskoi natsional’noi biblioteki [Early Russian Film Poster, 1908—1919: From the Collection of the National Library of Russia]. St. Petersburg, 2019, 417 p.
5. Russian Poster, NEB Knizhnye pamyatniki [Book Monuments of the National Electronic Library]. Available at: https://kp.rusneb.ru/item/thematicsection/posters-19-20 (accessed 08.12.2021) (in Russ.).
6. Zubatenko I.B. Film Posters of the G.I. Libken’s Company from the Collection of the State Museum of the History of Saint-Petersburg (Based on Materials of the Museum Collection Catalog), Knizhnaya kul’tura Yaroslavskogo kraya — 2019: sbornik statei i materialov [Book Culture of the Yaroslavl Region — 2019: collected articles and materials]. Yaroslavl, 2020, pp. 102—110 (in Russ.).
7. Cinématographe Lumière, Gallica. Available at: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b9005853r (accessed 08.12.2021).
8. Cinématographe Lumière, Gallica. Available at: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b9004725s.r (accessed 08.12.2021).
9. Edinstvennyi v Rossii kinetofon Edisona [The Only Edison Kinetophone in Russia]. St. Petersburg, K. Fel’dman Publ., 1900, 1 p.
10. Pervaya russkaya fabrika vyazal’noi i vyshival’noi bumagi. Parovaya fabrika chainoi i aptekarskoi vyazki [The First Russian Factory of Knitting and Embroidery Paper. Steam Factory of Tea and Pharmacy Knitting]. Moscow, I.D. Sytina i Kº Publ., 1884, 1 p.
11. “Fonar’” Fabriki A.A. Zaritskogo v Cherkassakh [“The Lantern” of A.A. Zaritsky’s Factory in Cherkasy]. St. Petersburg, E.I. Markus Publ., 1903, 1 p.
12. Stenka Razin. St. Petersburg, I. Kadushkina Publ., 1 p. (in Russ.).
13. Snopkov A.E. Russkii kinoplakat [Russian Film Poster]. Moscow, Kontakt-Kul’tura Publ., 2002, 335 p.
14. Rakhil’ Br. Pate [Rachel by Pathé Brothers]. Moscow, 1 p.
15. Sil’nyi chelovek [A Strong Man]. Moscow, Russkoe Tovarshchestvo “Moskva Rustipo” Publ., 1 p.
16. Kar’era zhandarmskogo rotmistra [The Career of a Gendarme Captain]. Moscow, Russkoe Tovarishchestvo “Moskva Rustipo” Publ., 1 p.
17. Nevesta smerti [Bride of Death]. Moscow, Preemn. A.Z. Kiseleva Publ., 1 p.
18. V chuzhom gnezde [In Someone Else’s Nest]. Moscow, “Ved. Od. Grad.” Publ., 1912, 1 p.
19. Teatr miniatyur [Theatre of Miniatures]. Petrograd, Ekonomicheskaya Publ., 1916, 1 p.
20. Sherlok Kholms v Peterburge [Sherlock Holmes in Petersburg]. St. Petersburg, G. Shmidt Publ., 1 p.
21. Strashnyi pokoinik [A Terrible Dead Man]. Moscow, S.M. Mukharskogo Publ., 1 p.
22. Strashnyi pokoinik [A Terrible Dead Man]. Moscow, Russkogo Tovarishchestva Publ., 1912, 1 p.
23. Ch’ya vina? [Whose Fault?]. Moscow, I.S. Fuki Publ., 1 p.
24. Tuman [Fog]. Moscow, Russkoe Tovarishchestvo “Moskva Rustipo” Publ., 1 p.
25. Zhizn’ — mig, iskusstvo — vechno [Life Is a Moment, Art Is Eternal]. Moscow, Russkoe Tovarishchestvo “Moskva Rustipo” Publ., 1916, 1 p.
26. Chronicle, Sine-fono [Cine-Phono], 1909, no. 22, p. 10 (in Russ.).
27. Cinema Advertising and Posters, Sine-fono [Cine-Phono], 1915, no. 8, pp. 31—32 (in Russ.).
28. Bezdna [Abyss]. Moscow, “Pechatnik” Publ., 1 p.
29. Lyubov’ iz passazha [Love from the Passage]. Moscow, Reklamfil’m Publ., 1988, 1 p.
30. Trekhsotletie tsarstvuyushchego doma Romanovykh. 1613—1913 [The Tercentenary of the Reigning House of Romanov. 1613—1913]. Moscow, Russkogo Tovarishchestva Publ., 1 p.
31. Bespridannitsa [Without a Dowry]. Moscow, Russkogo Tovarishchestva Publ., 1912, 1 p.
32. Bor’ba za svobodu narodov. (Stal’nye chudovishcha) [The Struggle for the Freedom of Peoples. (Steel Monsters)]. Moscow, 1 p.
33. V krovavom zareve voiny [In the Bloody Glow of War]. Moscow, E. Levina Publ., 1 p.
34. Voina i lyudi [War and People]. Moscow, Russkogo Tovarishchestva Pechatnogo i Izdatel’skogo Dela Publ., 1 p.
35. Podvig ryadovogo Alekseya Makukhi [The Feat of Private Aleksey Makukha]. Moscow, Russkogo Tovarishchestva Pechatnogo i Izdatel’skogo Dela Publ., 1 p.
36. Tsivilizovannye varvary [Civilized Barbarians]. Moscow, “Sinema” Publ., 1 p.
37. Stolichnyi yad [Capital Poison]. Moscow, I.S. Fuki Publ., 1 p.
38. Zheltyi bilet [Yellow Ticket]. Moscow, Evgeniya Patriarka Publ., 1 p.
39. Dogorai moya luchina [Burn Out my Splinter]. Moscow, I.S. Fuki Publ., 1 p.
40. Dmitrii samozvanets [Dmitry the Impostor], I. Kadushkina Publ., 1 p.
41. Katerina. Moscow, Russkogo Tovarishchestva Publ., 1 p. (in Russ.).
42. V tsepkikh lapakh dvuglavogo orla [In the Tenacious Claws of the Double-Headed Eagle]. Moscow, I.S. Fuki Publ., 1 p.
43. Za svobodu, za narod! [For Freedom, for the People!]. Moscow, “Pechatnik” Publ., 1 p.
44. Zhutkaya pravda o lenskom rasstrele [The Terrible Truth about the Lena Massacre]. Moscow, “Obshchee delo” Publ., 1 p.
45. Svyatoi chort [Holy Devil]. Moscow, “Pechatnik” Publ., 1 p.
46. Vstavai, podymaisya rabochii narod [Stand Up, Rise Up Working People]. Moscow, “Pechatnik” Publ., 1 p.
47. Da zdravstvuet demokraticheskaya respublika! [Long Live the Democratic Republic!]. Moscow, “Pechatnik” Publ., 1 p.
Review
For citations:
Mikhalkina E.M. The Historical and Source-Based Aspects of Studying Early Russian Silent Film Posters of 1908—1919. Observatory of Culture. 2022;19(2):172-181. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.25281/2072-3156-2022-19-2-172-181
Views:
372
Email this article 