Oscar academy given movie posters

More than 1,000 original movie posters from the golden age of Hollywood have been donated to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The posters document the era of "B-Movie" film-making in the first half of the 20th Century, covering genres such as westerns, war films and musicals.

They were donated by Dwight M Cleveland, a private Chicago collector.

The Academy said the posters filled "significant gaps" in its collection and were "a dream to receive".

All 1,088 posters will be housed in the Academy's Margaret Herrick Library in Beverly Hills.

"B-movies tap into the public consciousness and provide rich fodder for better understanding the times," said library director Linda Mehr.

Posters in the library's collections are stored in climate-controlled vaults and can be accessed by film-makers, historians, journalists and students, as well as the general public.

They are frequently shown at the Academy's own exhibitions and loaned to cultural institutions worldwide.