Since 1975 Special Collections has enthusiastically collected items related to Mississippi and the screen – posters, pressbooks, daybills, scripts, movie treatments, soundtracks, and related ephemera. Our collecting parameters are that the movie should be shot in Mississippi, be about Mississippi, be based on a work by a Mississippian, or all of the above. We have worked with donors, rare book dealers, and now Internet auction houses to locate many of these unique pieces.

Organizing such a plethora of material offered complications. Among all of these colorful collections how should we present the little explored history of Mississippi and the movies? After much thought, our staff decided upon several themes which we felt represented the cinematic landscape of the state. Of course, the well-known and important work of William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams appears but other lesser known and vintage Mississippi authors and films make their presence felt. Thematic concepts such as foreign versions of Mississippi-related films and civil rights films also form important parts of the exhibition.   [go to page 3 >>]