Before the Trailer: The Posters That Sold the Movies
Vintage Movie Poster Collection Coming to Auction
This March, we are proud to present a collection of vintage movie posters that captures a defining era of modern cinema. Spanning the late 1970s through the early 1980s, the collection brings together science fiction, horror, comedy, crime, and cult classics - each represented through original poster art that helped shape how audiences first encountered these films.
More than just promotional material, these posters are cultural artefacts. Designed to stop passersby in their tracks, they reflect the graphic design trends, social moods, and cinematic ambitions of their time. Bold illustration, striking typography, and unforgettable imagery combine to make this collection as visually compelling as it is historically important.
A Galaxy of Blockbusters and Cult Classics
Among the highlights is Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, a cornerstone of science‑fiction cinema whose poster art distilled epic scale, conflict, and romance into a single image. Equally iconic is Raiders of the Lost Ark, and this collection includes to versions of the film poster that introduced audiences to the adventures of 1930s archaeology professor Indiana Jones, who recovered sacred relics while fighting the Nazis with pulpy confidence.
Science fiction continues with Outland, a darker, grittier vision of the genre with Sean Connery as a Federal Marshall on one of Jupiter's moons, while the 1979 re‑release poster for The Getaway offers a fascinating example of how studios re‑positioned films for new audiences, often with updated graphics that differ markedly from the original release.
Counterculture
The collection also speaks to the rise of horror and exploitation cinema as mainstream forces. Posters for Friday the 13th, Alligator and Zombies: Dawn of the Dead are visceral, confrontational, and unapologetic - designed to shock and linger in the memory. Their artwork reflects a period when horror marketing leaned heavily into atmosphere and menace, helping to define the visual language of the genre.
Comedy and counterculture are represented by titles that pushed boundaries and redefined audience expectations. National Lampoon’s Animal House and History of the World: Part One showcase irreverent humour through playful compositions that reward close inspection.
Meanwhile, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest stands apart with a poster that focuses on the star Jack Nicholson to emphasise the character and emotional depth, while also broadcasting the film’s critical acclaim.
Crime drama is powerfully represented by The Long Good Friday, a film whose poster art conveys menace and modernity with restrained confidence, in a film about political and police corruption often regarded as one of the best British gangster films ever made.
These are just some of the highlights included, there are many more iconic as well as obscure (cult classic?) titles amongst the collection.
Collecting Cinema History
Whether sought for nostalgia, design, or investment, vintage movie posters occupy a unique space in the collectables market. Condition, rarity, and provenance all play a role, but so too does the emotional pull of cinema itself—the memory of a first viewing, a favourite character, or a film that defined a generation. This is particularly pertinent at a time when the film industry, and cinemas especially, are facing unprecedented challenges in the face of post-pandemic shifts and intense competition for audience attention due to streaming channels (but do you recall any Netflix screenshots?).
This auction offers collectors the opportunity to acquire original posters from some of the most influential films of the late 20th century. Together, they form a compelling snapshot of an era when movies were not just watched, but announced to the world through unforgettable art on paper.
The collection will form part of our Music, Film & Sport Memorabilia auction on Friday 20th March, and a preview of the posters can be seen here.
