On July 24, 2024, archivists and researchers gathered for a special L.A. as Subject tour of the Margaret Herrick Library, located along the busy thoroughfare of La Cienega Blvd in Beverly Hills. Housed in Beverly Hills’ old Waterworks building, the library serves as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences archive and research center. Architect Arthur Taylor designed this 1928 structure that, through adaptive reuse, was repurposed into a wonderful treasure trove of film history open to the public.
For the past 30 years, the Margaret Herrick Library has been the custodian of an extraordinary collection that includes over 32,000 books, 35,000 posters, 80,000 screenplays, 300,000 files of clippings, and a staggering 10 million photographs, all related to the film industry. On this warm July day, we were treated to an extensive tour of the vast archive spread throughout the building.
A Glimpse into Graphic Arts
Our journey began in the Graphic Arts Department, where Anne Coco introduced us to beautiful illustrations and posters from cinematic history. We were treated to vivid visuals from films such as The Iron Giant, Black Panther, E.T., and Raiders of the Lost Ark. There are 78,000 pieces in this collection of both production and poster art.
The Art of Conservation
Next, we entered the Conservation Department, where Yoojung Hong shared some of the highlights from the collection while discussing some challenges of conservation. As she carefully lifted a Girls on the Run movie poster to reveal tape residue, she quipped, “Humans really like tape.” The fact that the Herrick Library has an on-site conservator and a fully operational conservation department is truly impressive, especially given the often prohibitive costs associated with such expertise.
The Expansive Photo Archive
In the Photo Archive, archivist Megan Harinski impressed the group with the sheer scale of the collection. We were shown production photos from legendary films like The Wizard of Oz and Star Wars, as well as Polaroid casting photos of Hollywood stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Aniston. The photo archive’s extensive space and state-of-the-art scanner were particularly noteworthy, as storage and space are often at a premium in archival environments.
Exploring the Core Collection
The tour continued into the Reading Room with an introduction to the Core Collection’s Publications, led by Trevor Riehle-Ludtke and Jacki Seagrave. The pair presented a fascinating array of materials, including a scrapbook of movie star cigarette cards, published scripts, paper doll pamphlets, and industry magazines from the 1920s. One standout item was a 1970s Black casting magazine titled Black Hollywood, published by writer and actress Sonja Dunson. There were also a number of Los Angeles publications, as Seagrave explained, “We do collect a lot of L.A. history since there is so much overlap with the industry.”
Unveiling Special Collections
As we ventured further, we were enthralled by the stories shared by Lisa Gall, rhana tabrizi, Suad Abdoun, Louise Hilton, and Warren Sherk from the Core Collection and Special Collections. Menus, vintage matchbooks, and casting books were on display along with personal artifacts like Cary Grant’s glasses, Spike Lee’s handwritten thank-you note to Kim Basinger, and a teenage Tom Hanks’ letter to director George Roy Hill. In this heartfelt letter, Hanks wrote, “I do not want to be some big-time, Hollywood superstar with girls crawling all over me, just a hometown American boy who has hit the big-time, owns a porche, and calls Robert Redford ‘Bob.’”
A Lasting Impression
Thank you to Caroline Jorgenson and the team at the Margaret Herrick Library for taking the time to share items from this amazing collection. The Margaret Herrick Library is more than just an archive; it is a sanctuary for film lovers, historians, and anyone with a curiosity for the stories that have shaped the silver screen.
