LACMA’s purchase of movie poster collection a boon to Los Angeles, says Michael Govan 2

Joyful news as the artistic merits of the marketing of movies during the High Hollywood era gets strong validation with the addition of an important movie-poster collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

Michael Govan, LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director,  announced on Saturday April 16 the acquisition of the Mike Kaplan Poster Collection through a generous gift  of an anonymous donor.

The collection of some 880 posters, mostly from the Golden Age of movie poster design (1930 – 1950), is one of the most important collections of movie posters still in private hands. It was assembled with a connoisseur’s eye over 35 years by designer, art director, and producer Mike Kaplan, who generously donated a portion of the collection to make the acquisition possible.

In an email to arts•meme, Govan shared his strong feeling that the collection found the correct home at LACMA. “This amazing collection reflects nearly a lifetime of Mike Kaplan’s love and knowledge. I am so happy it will be cared for in Los Angeles,” wrote Govan.

For his part, Kaplan says, “Over the 35 years I’ve been collecting, I often considered that the choices made would one day be acknowledged by a major museum as the art they are.

“That dream has now come true with the acquisition by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, one of the world’s great museums.”

The collection, highlights of which will be included in future exhibitions,focuses on exceptional illustrators, motifs, studio periods, national styles, stars, directors, and film genres. Many posters are the only copy in existence, while others are the best preserved of very few remaining examples.

Congratulations all around: to LACMA, to Mike Kaplan, and to the city of Los Angeles!