Jacques Kapralik!

The short biographical introduction to the archive reads: “Jacques Kapralik was born in Romania in 1906, and immigrated to the United States in 1936. He was a commercial artist and caricaturist whose art was used in the promotion of motion pictures. Kapralik’s distinctive style involved the creation of miniature models from paper and balsa wood. The models were then photographed. These photographs were used as promotional posters for motion pictures, predominantly MGM films. They primarily appeared in trade magazines and press kits. He also created movie posters in the more traditional caricature format for other companies, such as Universal Pictures, and for motion picture advertisements in the Pictorial Review, a newspaper insert on motion pictures of the time. Kapralik also created advertisements for companies such as Nutrilite and S&W.” The archive, which was donated to the university by a cousin, is incredibly comprehensive, containing framed 3-dimensional models for as many as 60 films; over 100 different small promotional posters (9.5" x 12.5") made for MGM between 1940 and 1960 for use in trade magazines and press books; over 150 Pictorial Review newspaper inserts featuring Kapralik’s caricatures on the cover; and beyond that a treasure trove of sketches and caricatures, personal photographs and research materials.