Bringing together for the first time all collections, conservation, preservation, exhibitions, and screening components of the Academy Foundation, Homma will add to her purview the 52-million-piece Academy Collection, the world’s largest film-related collection
New collection acquisitions include the screen-used hero bicycle from Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985), a collection of rare scripts and correspondence belonging to Orson Welles, behind-the-scenes photographs from the set of Jaws (1975), personal collections from Allison Anders, Arthur Dong, Sherry Lansing, and Freida Lee Mock, the couture gown worn by Cicely Tyson to the 91st Oscars®, costumes designed by Charles Lemaire and Mark Bridges, and new restorations of Mysterious Skin (2004), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), and Saint Joan (1957).
LOS ANGELES, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today the newest acquisitions to its expansive Academy Collection, the largest film-related collection in the world, comprising more than 52 million items. The Academy, through its Academy Foundation, is a global leader in the conservation, preservation, and exhibition of film-related objects and materials.
The Academy also announced today that its collections and museum work will now be more organizationally linked via the elevation of Amy Homma to the new role of Director and President, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and Academy Collection. Homma will work directly with Executive Vice President, Academy Collection and Preservation, Matt Severson, and the teams at the Academy Film Archive and Margaret Herrick Library.
Recent acquisitions in the Academy Collection include Paul Reubens’ screen-used hero bicycle from Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985); a collection of rare scripts and correspondence belonging to Orson Welles from collector James Pepper, including a Citizen Kane (1941) script and wrap party invitation, and Touch of Evil (1958) scripts annotated by Welles; behind-the-scenes photographs from the set of Jaws (1975) from production boom operator Frank Meadows; filmmaker Arthur Dong’s personal collection of film materials focused on Chinese representation and filmmakers in Hollywood; and the couture gown worn by Cicely Tyson during the 91st Oscars® with the sketch illustration by designer B Michael.
Personal collections containing scripts, correspondence, storyboards, photographs, and production materials donated from filmmaker Allison Anders, film executive Sherry Lansing, set decorator Marvin March, photographer Mary Ellen Mark, producer Walter Mirisch, documentary filmmaker Freida Lee Mock, casting director Marcia Ross, and Steadicam operator Elizabeth Ziegler have also been added to the Academy Collection. The Academy Collection has also added the Kobal Foundation Collection of Photograph Negatives, which comprises approximately 20,000 original negatives, including portraits and behind-the-scenes images by some of Hollywood’s greatest photographers. In addition, new acquisitions to the Academy’s core reference collection include more than 600 books, 2,600 magazines, and 2,200 posters from 46 countries.
New costume, production, and technology object additions include a costume designed by Charles Lemaire worn by Katharine Hepburn as Bunny Watson in Desk Set (1957), a costume designed by Mark Bridges worn by Heather Graham as Rollergirl in Boogie Nights (1997), life casts of Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, and Al Pacino, as well as an ARRI camera used by documentary pioneer Robert J. Flaherty. New Oscar® statuettes include John Alcott’s Oscar for Cinematography for Barry Lyndon (1975), among others.
The Academy Film Archive has added over 1,000 audio and visual elements to its holdings this past year. New items include casting sessions from casting director and Academy governor Richard Hicks, featuring such notable actors as Zac Efron, Andrew Garfield, Jennifer Lawrence, and Saoirse Ronan; a 35mm print of His Three Daughters (2024); and a newly created 35mm print from the original negative of 8 ½ (1963). Through its preservation efforts, the Academy Film Archive has added over 30 new film prints and digital 4K restorations to the collection, including Mysterious Skin (2004), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), and Saint Joan (1957), all of which had their West Coast premiere screenings at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
The Academy’s growing collection remains a valuable resource for research, exhibitions, and cultural exchange worldwide. In the last year, the Academy’s Margaret Herrick Library supported 30 exhibitions, including six at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, providing more than 400 items to exhibitions, including Stories of Cinema, Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema, and Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema . Additionally, 779 objects from the collection were loaned to institutions across North America, Europe, Asia, and South America. In the last year, the Academy Film Archive also loaned films from the Academy Collection for over 300 screenings at cinematheques and festivals in 20 countries, including over 100 screenings at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. These efforts underscore the Academy’s commitment to preserving global film heritage and promoting public access to the cinematic arts on an international scale.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been collecting and preserving film and film-related material since 1927. Its unparalleled collection contains items reflecting all components of the moviemaking process—costumes, photographs, scripts, posters, production art, sound recordings, books, film and video assets, props, cameras, projectors, clippings, makeup and hairstyling tools, visual effects technologies, promotional materials, and more. Through its conservation program and dedication to high-quality collections care, the Academy ensures the integrity, longevity, and accessibility of these valuable cultural artifacts for generations to come.
