Vintage Cinema Revisited

In Figueras, less than half an hour's drive from my home in Roses, there is going to be a Collector's Fair of old cinematographic posters, and everything for the die-hard movie fans, collectors, aficionados of cinema relics or graphics, the initiated, the knowledgeable, or simply the curious. All have the near sure possibility to find the piece missing from their private collection, or something they didn't even know the existence of, to add to their collection.

Besides, the Fair has another ingredient, that of solidarity, as the benefits are destined to finance the restoration of the glass showcases of the Casino Menestral Figuerene, one of the principal cultural institutions of the capital ampurdanesa, my area. It was founded in 1856, awarded by the Cruz of Saint George in 2004, the Menestral offers non-profit cultural activities, formative or social, and is the meeting point for generations for people in this area.

For several years this modernistic building, constructed in 1904 by the famous architect Josep Boris, has been under repair and reform, but the work stopped a few months ago due to the crisis and lack of financial support. It's a shame for the numerous members and local citizens, who had decided to organise the Fair by popular request, with the hope to be able to resume the repair project.

The initiative is organised by the board of the casino and the collector Luis Benejam, proprietor of more than 25,000 cinematographic references in paper: posters, hand programmes, pamphlets, postcards, and other promotional paraphernalia. There would be 30 stands / kiosks, offering 1.500 original posters of films of all categories in different eras, from 1960 till the present day. There are also some vintage classics before this period, like Ben-Hur, of the 50's, but the poster conserved is the one made for the reposition afterwards.

The posters include the ones from other countries not just of Hollywood, all of the classic format of 70 x 100 centimetres, at prices between €10 to €40.

Tags: cinemaposters

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