Musical "Folio" posters

[Deleted]

Having recently bought a flat where I live in Brighton, and being currently at my parents's home for a support bubble Christmas, been going through all my musical paraphernalia in my old bedroom.

Anyway, would like to frame some of my old musical posters and hang them in my new flat. In the 90s and 00s I collected various 'folio' posters (the 12.5 x 20 inch ones), mainly for ALW stuff but some other bits as well.

Firstly, is quite annoying that there aren't many frames you can buy online of this size that are particularly exciting (Dress Circle and Amazon had a few) so wondering if worth splashing out to get bespoke framing. 

Secondly just wondered if many people frame these posters?

But I also got to thinking, do they even still sell these posters for most musicals now? As from what I can tell they don't seem to be as widespread as they were?

For more recent ALW stuff, Stephen Ward never had one. The Cats Palladium did do a poster but it was bigger. Joseph Palladium am fairly sure didn't do a poster? Was surprised to find in my collection a School of Rock folio poster as had I been asked to guess before yesterday I'd have said there wasn't one! Certainly the last ALW show to have a decent range of them was Love Never Dies.

I confess I don't really look at the merch for non ALW/Mis/Saigon but do musicals still produce folio posters? Does Evan Hansen, Come From Away, Juliet, Six have them?

Also I'd be very interested if someone knew how musical theatre posters came to be this shape and why they care called 'folio?'

[Someone in a tree]

I use IKEA Riba frames and then visit a local framers to get a mount cut.

[Deleted]

Dec 26, 2020 11:17:12 GMT Someone in a tree said:

I use IKEA Riba frames and then visit a local framers to get a mount cut.

They look cool! Love seeing other people's posters :-) 

[distantcousin]

I want to start doing this. I have my Sunset Boulevard original production poster which I have in a frame that is just the correct height, but too wide.

Amazon do a lot of theatre posters (reproduction I guess) that I was thinking of splashing out on, but yes, I would like to get a nice good frame.

How does one get the posters to stay in place in the middle if they're in the larger frame?

[alece10]

I use the same frames from Ikea but I do have to cut just under and inch off the bottom of the poster for it to fit the frame.
I have a rather impressive collection (if I say so myself) and have 25 currently lining my hallway.
I was a volunteer at the Menier Chocolate Factory for many years so managed to get the posters signed by the casts of the shows.
Quite a few of them have little personalized messages as well which is lovely.
My prized ones are Funny Girl with Sheridan Smith, Talent signed by Victoria Wood, Abigail's Party where each cast member has written one of their lines from the play on the poster and Paradise Found which as Broadway royalty both starring in and directing it but was one of the strangest shows ever.

[Deleted]

Dec 26, 2020 11:32:17 GMT distantcousin said:

I want to start doing this. I have my Sunset Boulevard original production poster which I have in a frame that is just the correct height, but too wide.

Is that when the graphics were the orangey/brown? I loved this colour scheme and thought it was a shame when they changed to the grey (from LA onwards basically) and added the silhouette of the hand and gun. 

How is yours doing as sadly mine has really really faded?

I have the original poster with Patti and Kevin Anderson's name on it - one of my most prized possessions but sadly very little colour left in it. Been on display for 30 odd years so guess is sunlight? Anyway, that deep warm orangey/browny colour clearly isn't good for longevity as my original Whistle Down The Wind poster has the same problem!

[Deleted]

How do you insert pics from phone camera into a thread? Trying to show some of my posters but seemingly unable to work out how to.

[BurlyBeaR]

Dec 26, 2020 11:53:58 GMT @sharpe12 said:

How do you insert pics from phone camera into a thread? Trying to show some of my posters but seemingly unable to work out how to.

FAQ number 18 here

[partytentdown]

Folio used to be a much more common size and a lot of frames were available back in the day, and also theatre FOH, cafes etc would have specific sites for folio-sized posters, and the remainder would often be sold as merchandise. A3 is now a much more common paper size and cheaper to mass print so shows tend to produce A3 posters for distribution, although this is also dying out (there are so few places left in central London that aren't chains, once upon a time there were streets and streets of cafes, independent shops etc with theatre posters all over their walls) and this mode of publicity may well have been killed off by the pandemic. However these A3s tended to be flimsier than the old folio style and not as attractive for selling purposes. It's a shame as folios used to look quite handsome. There are still a couple of pubs with staircases lined with old folio posters, unless they too have shut down now.

Broadway also annoyingly have their own sizes of posters which they often called 'window cards', these tend to be a bit bigger and printed on sturdier board.

[Deleted]

Dec 26, 2020 12:17:44 GMT partytentdown said:

Folio used to be a much more common size and a lot of frames were available back in the day, and also theatre FOH, cafes etc would have specific sites for folio-sized posters, and the remainder would often be sold as merchandise. A3 is now a much more common paper size and cheaper to mass print so shows tend to produce A3 posters for distribution, although this is also dying out (there are so few places left in central London that aren't chains, once upon a time there were streets and streets of cafes, independent shops etc with theatre posters all over their walls) and this mode of publicity may well have been killed off by the pandemic. However these A3s tended to be flimsier than the old folio style and not as attractive for selling purposes. It's a shame as folios used to look quite handsome. There are still a couple of pubs with staircases lined with old folio posters, unless they too have shut down now.

Broadway also annoyingly have their own sizes of posters which they often called 'window cards', these tend to be a bit bigger and printed on sturdier board.

Thanks. That's kinda what I thought; just wasn't quite sure as merchandise wise I only really follow ALW. Yes I also remember various shops and bars that used to display the folio posters in London, it is indeed such a shame that most of these independent places have gone.

(Reminds me - there was a bar above the former West Central (now one of the Ku Bars) that had these posters on display, spent many a Saturday night in there).

Yup the folios were indeed quite handsome and at the risk of sounding like an old person am also sorry so few of them are now produced.

[Deleted]

I had several done at a local framing company. I wanted thin, dark frames to suit the posters and I couldn't find any pre-made frames that were right. All the frames in shops seem to be in A-series sizes, which is great if you're printing your own pictures but not much use for anything else.

My favourite poster is actually a film one. It's a one-sheet for Tangled and printed in reverse on the back: 120 cm high, 87 cm wide; it cost £ouch to get it framed and it weighs argh-my-toes kg. I also have a quad that I'm putting off framing because I'm not sure the wall could take it.

[Rory]

I collected folio posters for years for plays and musicals and I used to be able to get a great selection on eBay. Sadly that is no longer the case and they are extremely difficult to get hold of, and in London you hardly ever see them around now although I think most shows still do them. I think it's a real pity they are so rare, the artwork was generally brilliant and I had about six of them framed in my hall. A local guy did a great job framing them for me.
I would love to be able to get my hands on the theatre posters on the Tube when they are
no longer in use (although maybe not the best idea in the current circumstances!).
They did do one for Stephen Ward at the Aldwych by the way.

[partytentdown]

Dec 26, 2020 13:20:24 GMT Rory said:

I collected folio posters for years for plays and musicals and I used to be able to get a great selection on eBay. Sadly that is no longer the case and they are extremely difficult to get hold of, and in London you hardly ever see them around now although I think most shows still do them. I think it's a real pity they are so rare, the artwork was generally brilliant and I had about six of them framed in my hall. A local guy did a great job framing them for me.
I would love to be able to get my hands on the theatre posters on the Tube when they are
no longer in use (although maybe not the best idea in the current circumstances!).
They did do one for Stephen Ward at the Aldwych by the way.

The Tube posters on the escalators tend to be printed on nice thick board but they are usually coated in grime by the time they are taken down and quickly get recycled. There's a quick turnaround although this year I've seen some that have stayed up for months! The bigger posters on platforms etc are pasted up so they don't usually come off in one piece sadly.

I once was at an anniversary performance of a show and a special folio poster was left on every seat to take home, which I thought was a nice touch.

[Deleted]

Dec 26, 2020 13:20:24 GMT Rory said:

I collected folio posters for years for plays and musicals and I used to be able to get a great selection on eBay. Sadly that is no longer the case and they are extremely difficult to get hold of, and in London you hardly ever see them around now although I think most shows still do them. I think it's a real pity they are so rare, the artwork was generally brilliant and I had about six of them framed in my hall. A local guy did a great job framing them for me.
I would love to be able to get my hands on the theatre posters on the Tube when they are
no longer in use (although maybe not the best idea in the current circumstances!).
They did do one for Stephen Ward at the Aldwych by the way.

I agree e-bay used to be such am amazing resource for collectable theatre stuff but really has dwindled in the last decade. I guess as the emphasis moves from physical products to digital it was inevitable. Or perhaps it's just that more time has passed since the era of the stuff I am interested in.

Ahhhh, gutted I missed the Stephen Ward one. Was that sold at the theatre? Saw them about town but they never had any for sale when I saw the show. Though there was only one performance I went to when they had the (slightly odd) souvenir brochure on sale. 

[Rory]

Dec 26, 2020 15:51:21 GMT @sharpe12 said:

Dec 26, 2020 13:20:24 GMT Rory said:

I collected folio posters for years for plays and musicals and I used to be able to get a great selection on eBay. Sadly that is no longer the case and they are extremely difficult to get hold of, and in London you hardly ever see them around now although I think most shows still do them. I think it's a real pity they are so rare, the artwork was generally brilliant and I had about six of them framed in my hall. A local guy did a great job framing them for me.
I would love to be able to get my hands on the theatre posters on the Tube when they are
no longer in use (although maybe not the best idea in the current circumstances!).
They did do one for Stephen Ward at the Aldwych by the way.

I agree e-bay used to be such am amazing resource for collectable theatre stuff but really has dwindled in the last decade. I guess as the emphasis moves from physical products to digital it was inevitable. Or perhaps it's just that more time has passed since the era of the stuff I am interested in.

Ahhhh, gutted I missed the Stephen Ward one. Was that sold at the theatre? Saw them about town but they never had any for sale when I saw the show. Though there was only one performance I went to when they had the (slightly odd) souvenir brochure on sale. 

I think the Stephen Ward one was on eBay back then. Not sure whether it was sold at the theatre.

[saral]

I have a Tube one from Sunset Blvd with Petula Clarke on it, from the escalators, it was new and clean and it came wrapped in a Tube poster that they used to paste on the tunnels when you walk between lines, about 6ft tall

I wrote to them asking if I could have one after the last time I saw the original London run just before it closed, as I figured they wouldn't have any more use for them, I honestly didn't think they would reply

[distantcousin]

Dec 26, 2020 11:44:55 GMT @sharpe12 said:

Dec 26, 2020 11:32:17 GMT distantcousin said:

I want to start doing this. I have my Sunset Boulevard original production poster which I have in a frame that is just the correct height, but too wide.

Is that when the graphics were the orangey/brown? I loved this colour scheme and thought it was a shame when they changed to the grey (from LA onwards basically) and added the silhouette of the hand and gun. 

How is yours doing as sadly mine has really really faded?

I have the original poster with Patti and Kevin Anderson's name on it - one of my most prized possessions but sadly very little colour left in it. Been on display for 30 odd years so guess is sunlight? Anyway, that deep warm orangey/browny colour clearly isn't good for longevity as my original Whistle Down The Wind poster has the same problem!

No, the final colour scheme - the red "Peculiar Hark" era one! - I love it!

[Deleted]

Dec 26, 2020 17:24:32 GMT distantcousin said:

Dec 26, 2020 11:44:55 GMT @sharpe12 said:

Is that when the graphics were the orangey/brown? I loved this colour scheme and thought it was a shame when they changed to the grey (from LA onwards basically) and added the silhouette of the hand and gun. 

How is yours doing as sadly mine has really really faded?

I have the original poster with Patti and Kevin Anderson's name on it - one of my most prized possessions but sadly very little colour left in it. Been on display for 30 odd years so guess is sunlight? Anyway, that deep warm orangey/browny colour clearly isn't good for longevity as my original Whistle Down The Wind poster has the same problem!

No, the final colour scheme - the red "Peculiar Hark" era one! - I love it!

Fabulous! I have the orange and the grey but sadly never had a red one!

[Peter]

I’ve been having a sort through my posters this year and decided I would put them all up on Instagram - I’ve not been able to find an easy way to link, but search for the user name ’theatreposters’ to see them.

I have a pre-opening poster for Sunset with the cast names and opening date, loads of the usual folio posters for various productions, as well as a couple of ‘tube’ ones for My Fair Lady and Guys and Dolls and some giant six foot tall ones used on bus stops and the like...

The ones I really need to get framed up properly are Les Mis at the Barbican in 1985 and my poster for the original 1975 tryout of Jeeves at the Bristol Hippodrome - but they’re a completely different size again...!

[Peter]

On the subject of framing - I made my own to fit the awkward folio poster size, though having to get materials and the effort involved (I’m not a natural craftsman!) meant that it wasn’t significantly cheaper than buying them from Dress Circle.

[Deleted]

Dec 27, 2020 10:04:31 GMT Peter said:

I’ve been having a sort through my posters this year and decided I would put them all up on Instagram - I’ve not been able to find an easy way to link, but search for the user name ’theatreposters’ to see them.

I have a pre-opening poster for Sunset with the cast names and opening date, loads of the usual folio posters for various productions, as well as a couple of ‘tube’ ones for My Fair Lady and Guys and Dolls and some giant six foot tall ones used on bus stops and the like...

The ones I really need to get framed up properly are Les Mis at the Barbican in 1985 and my poster for the original 1975 tryout of Jeeves at the Bristol Hippodrome - but they’re a completely different size again...!

Just been on your Insta account - wow what an incredible collection, some amazing things there. As an ALW nut am particularly jealous of all your rare ALW ones especially the opening ones with the OLC names on. And the original 1984 Starlight one I have been searching for for years. The Pearl closing one is fab too (I have the Bobo closing one!)

Are you from Bristol? I remember when Cats came to the Hippodrome, I was about 15 and was the first time in my lifetime that there had been a show of such scale there. Think I went 6 times. But anyway, I had that flyer plastered across my bedroom wall. Great memories. 

Oh I also love Miss Saigon so am similarly jealous of that rare closing "You'll Miss Saigon" one. 
Oh, and the Moby Dick one - Cam Mac's most underrated masterpiece!
I could go on.....

[bimse]

Dec 27, 2020 10:04:31 GMT Peter said:

I’ve been having a sort through my posters this year and decided I would put them all up on Instagram - I’ve not been able to find an easy way to link, but search for the user name ’theatreposters’ to see them.

I have a pre-opening poster for Sunset with the cast names and opening date, loads of the usual folio posters for various productions, as well as a couple of ‘tube’ ones for My Fair Lady and Guys and Dolls and some giant six foot tall ones used on bus stops and the like...

The ones I really need to get framed up properly are Les Mis at the Barbican in 1985 and my poster for the original 1975 tryout of Jeeves at the Bristol Hippodrome - but they’re a completely different size again...!

Your Instagram is amazing Peter, I love seeing all those beautiful posters , works of art. Looking forward to seeing more .

[bimse]

I have a big collection of theatre posters, many folio size, plays and musicals , also pantomime and variety , and flyers, mainly 80s, 90s, many earlier ones . I usually have some on eBay as I’m having to downsize the collection due to lack of space since moving house .
If anyone is looking for anything in particular feel free to send me a message.

My favourites at the moment are ones for Barry Humphries’ shows , Beryl Reid in Entertaining Mr Sloane, and the Dads Army stage show.
I love to see framed posters (I have many which have been specially framed, not cheap , but look great, also as mentioned by others it’s hard to find exact sized frames) .

Just for interest , I’ve known people use posters as wallpaper , pasting them directly on to their walls. I feel awful when I see this , it devalues the posters , but then the owner gets to appreciate them . I had a couple of original 1950s posters which were mounted on board , many years back , then framed ... they lost in value considerably.

[Dawnstar]

Dec 27, 2020 10:04:31 GMT Peter said:

I’ve been having a sort through my posters this year and decided I would put them all up on Instagram - I’ve not been able to find an easy way to link, but search for the user name ’theatreposters’ to see them.

I've just had a quick look through & I'd forgotten how beautiful the images were for Lord of the Rings. A pity the show itself couldn't live up to the images! Also pleased to see two posters for Zorro, one of my favourite shows.

[42ndBlvd]

Dec 26, 2020 17:24:32 GMT distantcousin said:

Dec 26, 2020 11:44:55 GMT @sharpe12 said:

Is that when the graphics were the orangey/brown? I loved this colour scheme and thought it was a shame when they changed to the grey (from LA onwards basically) and added the silhouette of the hand and gun. 

How is yours doing as sadly mine has really really faded?

I have the original poster with Patti and Kevin Anderson's name on it - one of my most prized possessions but sadly very little colour left in it. Been on display for 30 odd years so guess is sunlight? Anyway, that deep warm orangey/browny colour clearly isn't good for longevity as my original Whistle Down The Wind poster has the same problem!

No, the final colour scheme - the red "Peculiar Hark" era one! - I love it!

I have a poter with the original colours, gun silhouette and John Barrowman and Betty Buckley’s names on them in mint condition. I remember bidding on eBay for a similar poster a few months ago, it was a little worn but had a image of John and Betty together at the bottom. Someone outbid me last second! Still keeps me awake at night.