Australian Twelve Sheet Posters

THX1138

Hi, everyone,

first post, but long time member and lurker, so please be gentle.

I`m doing a bit of research on Australian movie poster sizes, but can`t find anywhere on the net than has any information regarding the Australian Twelve Sheet poster.

Can anyone tell me what the size was in inches (I`m old school and I don`t do metric lol) and how many separate panels comprised it?

Thanking you in advance.

Regards,

Andy

HONDO

Hi Andy and welcome. Good to hear anytime that some more research is happening regarding Australian movie poster sizes. As you are inquiring about the size of Australian twelve sheets, may I ask you if you know for certain that they were ever produced here in Australia? I have never read or heard of their existence here, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they weren't produced here though, if only for a limited time.

Bruce

In England, U.S. six-sheets were called 12-sheets. Could that be what he is referring to (not that I can remember any Australian six-sheets, either)?

THX1138

Hi, Lawrence

Thank you for the kind welcome.

Like you, I`d never heard of an Australian twelve sheet poster before, but it is mentioned in the LAMP International Movie Posters book, on page 260, in the Australian section. It says, and I quote, 

"Also available in limited quantities was the Australian 12 Sheet and the 24 Sheet. The Australian 24 Sheet normally measures 104 x 232 which is slightly smaller than the US 24 Sheet."

I went on the Heritage Auction site and looked at their archive section, but the only sold items it showed me were Australian daybills and Australian One Sheets. No 12 Sheets came up, nor any 24 Sheets. 

I don`t know who LAMP used to get this information, but hopefully other members here may know, or may be able to help.

Kind regards,

Andy 

Mark

They printed 6 & 24 sheet Australian posters. If you search for Sullivan's Travels on HA you will find a 24 sht.
Robert Burton printed large format posters. I have seen them but can't recall how many sheets. Might have been 16.

HONDO

The following is reproduced from the Learn About Movie Posters ( LAMP ) website.

''TWELVE SHEET

The twelve sheet was introduced and primarily used by Paramount Studios during the 1940's as small billboards.  Made of paper, they generally measured 9' x 12'. Twelve sheets are only rarely used by today's studios. It was initially intended to be used as smaller alternative to the twenty-four sheet ( larger billboard). It proved to be an unpopular size and was discontinued.

Since paramount was virtually the only studio utilizing this size, and because only a small number was initially printed, twelve sheets are extremely rare. Most of them were destroyed when they were being removed from the billboard.''

Knowing now that it appears that Paramount was the distributor behind the introduction of the twelve sheet and they were primarily produced by them in the U.S.A. in the 1940's, I set about to check out Australian Paramount press books printed in the 1940's. Fortunately Paramount is one of the few distributors where posters sizes are available, along with images, that appear on press sheet images that are available to view on Google. I checked out 20 Paramount press sheets from the 1940's on Bruce's site, that show 6 sheets and also 24 sheet available, but no 12 sheets listed as accessories at all. This then would lead me to think that this size wasn't used by Paramount in Australia during this decade.  

THX1138

Many thanks, Mark and Lawrence, for your input.

I guess LAMP must have assumed that because the US had a twelve sheet, Australia would have as well. 

Thanks once again, guys!

Regards,

Andy  

Charlie

I’ve asked Ed from LAMP for some input.  Also Lawrence, may you please provide the link (if available) in addition to the quoted LAMP section.  Ed and Sue work really hard with their research and deserve a plug.

HONDO

Charlie said:

I’ve asked Ed from LAMP for some input.  Also Lawrence, may you please provide the link (if available) in addition to the quoted LAMP section.  Ed and Sue work really hard with their research and deserve a plug.

https://vintagemoviepostersforum.com/discussion/2457/0/www.learnaboutmovieposters.com/newsite/index/COUNTRIES/US/Articles/12sheet.asp

Charlie

Ummm.  That links to this discussion.  

Charlie

If this is from the member section of LAMP you should not just copy and paste.  It is big no-no and we have actually been contacted about it in the past.

HONDO

Charlie said:

If this is from the member section of LAMP you should not just copy and paste.  It is big no-no and we have actually been contacted about it in the past.

Don't you have to be a member to access this information, if is was included in the member section? I am not a member though.

theartofmovieposters

I'm not a member either...here is the link:

http://www.learnaboutmovieposters.com/newsite/index/COUNTRIES/US/Articles/12sheet.asp

theartofmovieposters

Here is the link to Aussie poster sizes where they mention 12 sheets:

http://www.learnaboutmovieposters.com/NewSite/INDEX/COUNTRIES/Australia/Aus-articles/Aus-PosterSizes.asp

Charlie

All good then... I am a member and posted an image from the members section and got an email.