The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Margaret Herrick Library launched its latest online research tool, the Production Art Database. The database contains records for more than 5,300 items from the library’s collection, including motion picture costume and production design drawings, animation art, storyboards and paintings.
The Production Art Database allows users to search, view and study motion picture design materials from the 1920s to the present. One of the earliest items featured is a costume design drawing by Howard Greer for the 1923 film The Spanish Dancer. Other notable pieces in the collection include a Hans Dreier production design drawing for Wings (1927), animation cels for the Pepe Le Pew cartoon For Scent-Imental Reasons (1949), Albert Whitlock’s matte painting study for The Birds (1963), Steven Spielberg’s rough storyboard sketches for Poltergeist (1982) and Jeannine Oppewall’s drawing of the Victory Motel for L.A. Confidential (1997). The collection also includes materials on very recent films, including drawings by Academy Award nominee Eve Stewart for The King’s Speech (2010).
“We’re very happy to be able to make this database more widely available to researchers, students and film enthusiasts,” said library director Linda Mehr. “Our hope is that it will bring much-deserved attention to the costume and production designers, sketch artists, animators, and other artists who have contributed so much to filmmaking.”