Recollecting Collecting: A Film and Media Perspective

This intriguing volume sheds light on the diverse world of collecting film- and media-related materials. Lucy Fischer’s introduction explores theories of collecting and representations of collecting and collections in film, while arguing that collections of film ephemera and other media-related collections are an important way in to understanding the relationship between material culture and film and media studies; she notes that the collectors have various motivations and types of collections. In the eleven chapters that follow, media studies scholars analyze a variety of fascinating collected materials, from Doris Day magazines to Godzilla action figures and LEGOs.

While most contributors discuss their personal collections, some also offer valuable insight into specific collections of others. In many cases, collections that began as informal and personal have been built up, accessioned, and reorganized to create teaching and research materials which have significantly contributed to the field of film and media studies. Readers are offered glimpses into diverse collections comprised of films, fan magazines, records, comics, action figures, design artifacts, costumes, props- including Buffy the Vampire Slayer costumes, Planet of the Apes publicity materials, and Amazing Spider Man comics. Recollecting Collecting interrogates and illustrates the meaning and practical nature of film and media collections while also considering the vast array of personal and professional motivations behind their assemblage.

Lucy Fischer is distinguished professor emerita in film and media studies at the University of Pittsburgh, where she also served as director of the program. She is author or editor of fourteen books, including Cinemagritte (Wayne State University Press, 2019), and is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Critics and Humanities Research Fellowship.