Louise Brooks Society Archive

One might ask, “how popular was Louise Brooks?” Though never a major star, she was popular enough in the 1920’s that a Cuban matchbox, an American board game, German and French postcards, Czech sheet music, and handful of Japanese and Brazilian magazine covers all featured her image — as did postcards from Colonial Africa and the Soviet Union, and so did a candy card from Turkey! And so did various books, magazines, and newspapers published all around the world. Highlighted here, as well, are product advertisements which used Brooks’ image, suggesting how her stardom was used to promote or sell an item.

The Louise Brooks Society website is home to an online archive whose goal is to document “all things Brooksie.” The pages listed below help document aspects of Brooks’ life and career, while others highlight the material culture of the silent and early sound era. All together, these pages not only help fill-out details around Brooks’ career, but also help place the actress in the larger context of her times.

This page serves as a table of contents to all manner of material gathered from around the world, and from across the internet. Some of these objects are in the collection of the Louise Brooks Society, while others were found on the internet or are scans of items generously sent by their owners. This archive highlights groups of like material which includes an array of memorabilia and movie related ephemera. Material related to Brooks’ film career as well as her time as a dancer and showgirl is included, as are books, magazines, programs, and catalogs from throughout her life. Most of the material included in this online archive is vintage (dating from the 1920s and 1930s), although a small portion dates to the late 20th century. Have a scan or additional information to share? The LBS would love to hear from you via its CONTACT page. This archive is a work in progress. As pages are built-out, more of the following categories will be linked.

Thomas Gladysz
Director, Louise Brooks Society