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Starting around 1910, film distributors began to print what came to be known as lobby cards as a means of advertising currently showing pictures. Typically issued in sets of eight, they featured still images accompanied by the film’s title and selected credits, usually including the producer or director, distributor, and starring names.
Until about 1930 lobby cards measured 8 x 10 inches and were printed in black and white. Later the size of 11 x 14 inches became more common, and some lobby cards began being issued in colour. In the United Kingdom, sets of lobby cards were known as ‘Front of House’ cards. On thick card, displayed in theatres on easels or else handed out directly to moviegoers, lobby cards became collectibles. Eschewing the elaborate designs and illustrations of movie posters, they allowed prospective audiences a first glimpse of the style and cinematography of a film.
These lobby cards for Alfred Hitchcock’s spy thriller North by Northwest were printed in the United Kingdom and distributed by Loew’s and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1959.
