Sim’s Corner

Long-form articles by Sim Branaghan, author of British Film Posters: An Illustrated History (BFI, 2006). Sim writes about the forgotten corners of British film and popular culture: how the Italian giallo, Godzilla and the Video Nasties were sold to British audiences, horror films on 1970s television, the first books about horror films, Hammer’s Guardians paperbacks and 250 years of banned books. Most of these articles first appeared on SMGuariento.com.

British Film Posters: An Illustrated Epilogue 2005 – 2025 [Updated February 2026]

15.03.25

British Film Posters: An Illustrated Epilogue 2005 – 2025 [Updated February 2026]

By Sim Branaghan

Twenty years after his book British Film Posters: An Illustrated History, Sim Branaghan updates the story: who survived and what was lost, 2005–2025.

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Post Date:: 15.03.25
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Dirty Books (11)

27.12.21

Dirty Books (11)

By Sim Branaghan

Dirty Books, part 11: the second-hand book exchanges, 1954–95, the last of the forgotten institutions.

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Post Date:: 27.12.21
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Dirty Books (10)

27.12.21

Dirty Books (10)

By Sim Branaghan

Dirty Books, part 10: the private shops that spread into the provinces, 1978–82.

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Post Date:: 27.12.21
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Dirty Books (9)

27.12.21

Dirty Books (9)

By Sim Branaghan

Dirty Books, part 9: home-grown typescript pornography produced in Soho, 1954–74.

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Post Date:: 27.12.21
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Dirty Books (8)

27.12.21

Dirty Books (8)

By Sim Branaghan

Dirty Books, part 8: the Soho bookshops and the men who ran London's dirty book trade, 1954–82.

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Post Date:: 27.12.21
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Dirty Books (7)

27.12.21

Dirty Books (7)

By Sim Branaghan

Dirty Books, part 7: the Americans, from Grove Press to the Supreme Court, and their influence on Britain, 1967–89.

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Post Date:: 27.12.21
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Dirty Books (6)

27.12.21

Dirty Books (6)

By Sim Branaghan

Dirty Books, part 6: the key obscenity trials of 1960–76, from Lady Chatterley's Lover onwards.

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Post Date:: 27.12.21
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Dirty Books (5)

27.12.21

Dirty Books (5)

By Sim Branaghan

Dirty Books, part 5: the Great Purge of the 1950s and the 1959 Obscene Publications Act.

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Post Date:: 27.12.21
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Dirty Books (4)

27.12.21

Dirty Books (4)

By Sim Branaghan

Dirty Books, part 4: Olympia Press and the Paris publishers of English-language banned books, 1929–65.

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Post Date:: 27.12.21
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Dirty Books (3)

27.12.21

Dirty Books (3)

By Sim Branaghan

Dirty Books, part 3: the key obscenity trials 1868–1954, from Lady Chatterley to the forgotten cases.

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Post Date:: 27.12.21
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Copyright

The original artwork and poster designs featured are copyright of the relevant studios or artists, including: Paramount, Disney, 20th Century Fox, Universal, Columbia Tristar, Mondo, Danjaq Ltd and more. See photos for individual copyright notices.

The photographs and text content are the copyright of Film on Paper and may not be used for any commercial purposes. Credit is appreciated if the photos are used in a non-commercial capacity.

Sim's Corner articles are the copyright of Sim Branaghan and are reproduced with his permission.

About Film on Paper

Film on Paper is an archive of original film posters featuring the collection of me, Eddie Shannon, an interaction designer, film fan and slave to three cats, currently living in York, UK.

The site came into being because I wanted a way to view my collection without having to continually handle the posters and risk damaging them. I also hoped it might become something of a reference site for fellow collectors as well as designers, illustrators and film fans.

Read more about Film on Paper