About Trade & Industry Literature
Trade magazines and other industry literature are key primary sources for the study of film, television, and media history.
These sources are good places to start for many research topics including finding film reviews, ratings and box office data, advertisements, and information about media production and distribution.
Trade magazines are written by industry representatives, and it's not uncommon that an author is not named. Articles are written to share industry information including trends, products, and techniques. Articles in these publications are written for people within the industry using technical language or jargon. References are provided via contextual referrals to other works, and the publications are reviewed by one or more editors employed by the publication.
Popular magazines are written by journalists, or a writer whose specialty is writing, not necessarily in the field that they are reporting. Articles are aimed at a general audience and written without using technical terms, or will define technical terms if used. The articles are reviewed by editors employed by the magazine, and referrals to other works rely on contextual information in the text.
Selected Resources
- Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window
Contains the essential primary sources for studying the history of the film and entertainment industries, from the era of vaudeville and silent movies through to 2000. Includes US and UK trade magazines covering film, music, broadcasting and theater. Also includes film fan magazines and music press titles.
- Performing Arts Periodicals Database This link opens in a new window
Indexes content from scholarly and popular performing arts periodicals. Includes biographical profiles, conference papers, obituaries, interviews, discographies, reviews and events. Covers a broad spectrum of the arts and entertainment industry-including dance, film, television, drama, theater, stagecraft, musical theater, broadcast arts, circus performance, comedy, storytelling, opera, pantomime, puppetry, magic and more.
Although some trade magazines are available in full-text through online databases, others are only available through the library in print or on microfilm. Some magazines, such as American Cinematographer (1920-present), can be found on different formats for different time periods of the magazine's publication.
Example:
American Cinematographer
Microfilm: Microfilm Area TR1 .A5335
Print: Sciences & Engineering TR1 .A5335
Online: Performing Arts Periodical Database (1972-present) and Hathi Trust Digital Library (limited)
- Bioscope
Call Number: Microfilm Area PN1993 .B57
1908-1932
- Dramatic Mirror
Call Number: Microfilm Area PN2000 .D73
1879-1922
- Educational Screen / Educational Screen & Audio-visual Guide
Call Number: Microfilm Area LB1044.A2 E4
1922-1971
The second title has the same call number and will be in the same drawer. - Exhibitor’s Herald / Motion Picture Herald
Call Number: Microfilm Area PN1993 .E93
1915-1950
Changed names many times, all have same call number and will be in sequential order in the drawers. - Film Daily Yearbook
Call Number: Microfilm Area PB1993.3 .F53
Including Wid’s Yearbook (1918-1922), Film Yearbook (1922-1927), and Film Daily Yearbook (1928-1969).
- Hollywood Reporter
Call Number: Microfilm Area PN1993 .H5
(1930-1958) Microfilm: PN1993 .H5
(1959-1990): NO ACCESS
(1999+) Online - The Kinematograph weekly
Call Number: Microfilm Area TR845 .K47
1919-1959
- Motion Picture Classic
Call Number: Microfilm Area PN1993 .M4
1915-1931
- Motion Picture Herald, see Exhibitor's Herald
- Motion Picture Magazine
Call Number: Microfilm Area PN1993 .M86
1911-1928
Motion Picture Story Magazine / Motion Picture / Motion Picture Magazine - Moving picture stories, a weekly magazine devoted to photoplays and players
Call Number: Microfilm Area PN1993 .M85
1913-1929
Not to be confused with Motion Picture Story, above. - Moving Picture World
Call Number: Microfilm Area PN1993 .M88
1907-1927
- Photoplay
Call Number: Special Collections PN1993 .P52 [Non-circulating]
1916-1940
To view materials from Special Collections, please make an appointment with that department.
Directories and Distribution or Rental Catalogs helped programmers, curators, and private collectors find and screen films.
Blackhawk Film Catalogs (USC Hugh M. Hefner Moving Image Archive) - Blackhawk Films was, for many decades, the best source for purchasing rare and important films for home viewing on 16mm, 8mm, and Super 8. USC's collection includes catalogs, many available in PDFs, from 1935-1995.
Resource Spotlight: Media History Digital Library
The Media History Digital Library is a free online resource includes early 20th century trade literature -- journals, magazines, press books -- from the histories of film, broadcasting, and recorded sound.
Start with their Early Cinema Collection to browse their holdings of trade and industry literature and popular magazines.
Solax Films (1910)
SOLAX RELEASE OF DEC. 30--"MRS. RICHARD DARE.". (1910, Dec 24). The Billboard (Archive: 1894-1960), 22, 51.
Located in the Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive.