cinema

The Media History Digital Library provides access to classic media periodicals that are in the public domain through a collaboration with the Internet Archive. Users can browse by collection or search Lantern, the MHDL’s search platform, which provides full-text search for a select number of titles. Titles can be viewed online or downloaded as a PDF. The MHDL describes their mission:

We are a non-profit initiative dedicated to digitizing collections of classic media periodicals that belong in the public domain for full public access. The project is supported by owners of materials who loan them for scanning, and donors who contribute funds to cover the cost of scanning. We have currently scanned over 800,000 pages, and that number is growing.

Our Collections feature Extensive Runs of several important trade papers and fan magazines. Click on the arrows below to learn more about these periodicals and select volumes to download and read. You’ll find more material and options at our Collections page.

For more information, visit the Media History Digital Library!

The University of Chicago now has trial access to Cinema Image Gallery, an EBSCO database featuring pictures, posters, video clips, film stills and other materials from the world of moving images, starting in the late 19th century and continuing to present day.

Cinema Image Gallery presents the history of moviemaking, as well as up-to-the-minute content from recent releases, and an extensive collection of television stills.

Content Includes:

More than 217,000 superior-quality images

A treasure trove of more than 6,200 posters and lobby cards used to promote movies

Links to 160 full movies, and to biographical materials about notable figures in the industry

Portrait photography and biographies of the stars of film and television

Database-specific search parameters developed specifically for this resource—Title, Director, Actor Names, Genre, Awards (Academy Award, Cannes Film Festival, Screen Actors Guild)—to ensure accuracy and speed in locating relevant material

Access the trial on-campus here. Let us know what you think in the comments!