Reviews

One of the most beautiful and historically significant books of the year, culled from Kisch's vast archive of posters commemorating the films - from the silents through blaxploitation to right now - made for and marketed to black audiences. With a foreword by Henry Louis Gates and an afterword by Spike Lee, the text is substantive, but the dazzling visuals are what speak volumes about the pain, pride, and passion of a race often exiled from, or marginalized by, the mainstream (read "white") movie industry.--Steven Rea "The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 8, 2014 " A striking homage to the graphic design aesthetic of yesteryear, the series of pop artworks more importantly outlines the way the film industry has portrayed black actors and characters for over a century.--Katherine Brooks "Huffington Post, October 9th, 2014 " This opulent volume brings a hidden gem of a film archive to four-color glory. The Rhinebeck-based Separate Cinema Archive, the largest private collection of African-American film memorabilia in the world, includes over 35,000 movie posters and photographs. Here's the best of it, from Uncle Tom's Cabin to The Butler, Al Jolson to Blaxploitation, Dorothy Dandridge to Oprah, B movies to blockbusters. With a foreword by Henry Louis Gates and an afterword by Spike Lee, it's a hefty revelation.--Jana Martin "Chronogram, December 1st, 2014 " It will be a must for film poster collectors and film historians specializing in black film and in need of visual documentation.--Jan-Christopher Horak, UCLA Film & Television Archive "January 2, 2015 " The book is a fascinating look at cinematic and cultural history, and accompanying text provides an informative look at the evolution of cinema... as well as some shocking and unsettling posters, the book includes a rare glimpse of some beautiful examples of graphic art.--Rachel Steven, Creative Review "September 24, 2014 "