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The Kinematograph Weekly (at some point in the 1910s, it merged with "Lantern" and was known as "The Kinematograph & Lantern Weekly", and at some point in the late 1960s, the title changed to simply "Kine Weekly"), the main English trade magazine sent to English movie theater owners starting in 1907, when movies were completely in their infancy. Each magazine measured approximately 9" x 12", and each contained many pages (in the early years, issues would have from 50 to 200 pages). Note that issues of this English trade magazine are far more scarce than the already scarce U.S. trade magazines of the same period, no doubt because of the great paper shortages in England during World War II, which caused the destruction of most pre-World War II paper. Each weekly issue would be filled with profusely illustrated articles about upcoming movies, statistics about box office grosses of current releases, and sometimes articles about coming developments in motion picture technology, and sometimes sections illustrating how theaters advertised current movies. Of greatest interest to collectors are the dozens of advertisements (most full-page) from all of the major studios! Many of these ads were full-color, and the studios spent a great deal of time and money creating them, for it was through these exhibitor magazines that the studios gained bookings for their upcoming releases, which was the direct income they received from those movies (by contrast, the posters they created helped theaters take in more money, but that did not directly benefit the studios, except when they owned the theaters, or if higher grosses resulted in more bookings). Note that these exhibitor magazines were ONLY sent to theater owners, and the general public never had a chance to buy them. But most theater owners treated them like old newspapers, throwing them away after the movies had played. Consequently, they are extremely rare, especially those from the 1920s and 1930s! Note that we do not have the time to list the contents of each magazine we are selling (this magazine does not have a "table of contents", and of course, the most interesting part of the magazine is the great illustrated ads), but we have pictured the cover, and several interior 2-page spreads. Each of these magazines, which were NOT printed on newsprint, and were printed on quality paper, is packed with very interesting visual and written material, almost all of which has not been seen since the date the magazine was published. We doubt anyone who buys these magazines will be disappointed by the content!

Artist: W. S. Bylitilis

Important Added Info: Note that this is one of six extremely rare English exhibitor magazines we were consigned that date from between 1916 and 1923. Such magazines are beyond rare! Almost none of them survive at all. All six of the ones we are auctioning (in six separate auctions) are in MUCH lesser condition, but they do contain wonderful ads that can't be found anywhere else, and of course, the new owner could separate out those ads from the magazine (and possibly sell them individually).

Note that we have provided a picture of the front cover of the magazine, and also pictures of one or more interior two-page spreads (but we didn't make much effort to find the best ones!). These images should greatly help you judge the overall condition of the magazine. Please realize that sometimes there were only a few ads in each magazine, and sometimes quite a few, but that often the bulk of each magazine is taken up by stories about current productions and other information of interest to theater owners (and I don't know that this information can be found anywhere else or that it has been reproduced in any book since its first publication!). Please know that these magazines are sealed in bags and are ready for shipping, and we cannot answer any questions about them or look through them for you, so please bid (or do not bid) based on the images we have provided.

Note: We have 12 images of the magazines in this set, but due to a space limitation, only TEN of the 12 images are displayed above. However, there is a "supersize" link to the right of those images that lets you see the other 2.

Our address for UPS or FedEx only is:
Bruce Hershenson,
306 Washington Avenue, West Plains, MO 65775