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Silent screen legend Harold Lloyd's comic genius preserved.

The photographs and papers of renowned silent film comedian Harold Lloyd, one of the founding members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, have been donated to the Academy's Margaret Herrick Library. The donation came from Suzanne Lloyd, the granddaughter of the silent screen star and chair of the Harold Lloyd Trust.

The collection consists of nearly 3,000 original still photograph negatives and approximately 85 scrapbooks covering Lloyd's life and a film career which spanned 34 years and included more than 200 films.

Comic Genius

"A collection of this calibre, from a legendary Hollywood figure like Harold Lloyd, is a welcome addition to the Library, especially during this time when we are celebrating the rich, 75-year history of the Academy," said Linda Mehr, director of the Herrick Library.

The original 8-by-10 photo negatives in the collection represent almost all of Lloyd's feature films, including A Sailor-Made Man (1921), Safety Last! (the film that earned him the title of ‘The King of Daredevil Comedy’ in 1923), Girl Shy (1924), The Kid Brother (1927) and Speedy (1928). Numerous portraits of Lloyd from early in his career also are featured.

The collection contains general publicity photos and pictures from Lloyd's personal life, including shots of the comedian with other celebrities such as Babe Ruth, Hal Roach and Douglas Fairbanks Sr. There are many family pictures from the 1920s and 1930s showing Lloyd and his wife Mildred Davis with all of their children. Many photos also capture the family at Lloyd's famous Beverly Hills estate, Greenacres. Lloyd, who owned nearly all of his own films, kept the photos and scrapbooks, which chronicle the family's history.

"Memorabilia like this from the silent era are extremely rare, and utterly crucial to the record of Hollywood's history," said Robert Cushman, the Library's photograph curator. "Luckily, we received everything in good condition and with our conservation processes will be able to prevent future deterioration. By producing archival custom fibre prints from the negatives we can ensure the preservation of these unique images."

Founding Members

As one of the thirty-six founding members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1927, Lloyd strongly supported the organisation when it began and continued to do so throughout his life. Lloyd received an Honorary Oscar from the Academy in 1952. "My grandfather loved the Academy - it meant so much to him, especially since he was part of its inception," said Suzanne Lloyd. "He would be very happy to know part of his film legacy will be preserved at the Academy's Library."

A highlight of the scrapbook portion of the collection is an album labelled "Harold Lloyd's International Fan Letters." The album, which is six and a half inches thick, holds several thousand letters sent to him from admiring fans all over the world.

"This is the largest and most comprehensive scrapbook collection the library has ever seen for one person," said Howard Prouty, the library's special collections archivist. "There are often as many as four or five volumes devoted to just a single film and more than a dozen albums contain nothing but foreign press clippings."

"This is an important acquisition for the library as it chronicles the life and career of one of the Academy's founders," said Mehr. "Lloyd was a pioneer in his time and, thanks to his granddaughter's generous gift, we will be able to preserve his legacy for years to come."

The archival custom fibre prints already produced by the Academy from the original negatives serve as the basis for the new book Harold Lloyd: Master Comedian, written by Jeffrey Vance and Suzanne Lloyd.

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