Titans on the Wall: Peplum Films of the 1950s and 1960s

Abstract

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what about a movie poster? The Titans on the Wall: Peplum Films of the 1950s and 1960s exhibit invites you to explore how movie posters shaped audience expectations, reflected artistic trends, and traveled across borders to bring historical and imagined worlds to life.

David Chapman is an independent author, collector, and scholar of the history of strength and physique display. Between 2017 and 2021, Mr. Chapman generously donated more than 350 movie posters to the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections. Featuring many posters for mid‑20th‑century peplum films—also known as gladiator or sword‑and‑sandal epics—the collection offers a window into international film distribution and visual culture.

Bringing together posters from Italy, France, Belgium, Germany and other parts of Europe as well as Mexico and the United States, the collection includes originals that range in size from small-scale lobby cards up to six-sheet displays large enough to cover a wall. Bright colors, dramatic poses and prominently displayed bodybuilder lead actors characterized both the posters and the films they promoted. Learn more about the production and promotion of peplum films and the Libraries’ preservation of these promotional posters.