Research Guides: CINE 335: Exhibition & Audiences: Primary Sources

Information about Films

AFI Catalog
Profiles of every American film from 1893 to 1975, with full or short records for films from 1976 to Present. Most records include extensive plot summaries, production histories, and bibliographies of primary sources.

American Motion Picture Directory: A Cyclopedic Directory of the Motion Picture Industry, 1914-15
A directory of U.S. movie theaters 1914-15.
Opening and Operating a Motion Picture Theatre, How it is Done Successfully (1912)
A guide to operating a movie theater in 1912, by James Floyd Hodges.
Picture Theatre Advertising (1915)
A guide to advertising and promotional strategies for movie theater owners from 1915 by Epes Winthrop Sargent.

Use these sources to find primary sources related to the Oregon Theater Project.

CPI Inflation Calculator
What was the value of a dollar in 1913? The CPI Calculator can tell you what the price of a movie ticket in the past would cost in today's dollars. Provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Historic Oregon Newspapers
Digitized newspapers from all over the state of Oregon, covering 1846-2017.
Media History Digital Library
Full-text digital reproductions of early film industry publications, including many about exhibition, including Motion Picture Herald, Moving Picture World, and Exhibitors' Herald.
Oregon City Directories
Use city directories to find names and addresses of businesses and individuals in Oregon towns. All of the historic city directories are located in Special Collections & University Archives in Knight Library.

Newspapers.com: University of Oregon (1851-1980)
Provides access to a growing collection of historic newspapers published in Oregon. Access on campus and off-campus to current UO faculty students and staff.

Digital Sanborn maps 1867-1970
Large-scale, detailed, black & white maps of 177 Oregon towns and cities, as well as municipalities in California, Washington, and Idaho

Originally created for fire insurance purposes, Sanborn maps have become a valuable tool for studying the history, growth, and development of cities, towns, and neighborhoods. Users can pan and zoom as well as download PDF versions of each sheet. The MAP Library also has paper versions of many of these maps.