I'm researching The Academy Cinema for a book.

Can you help?

It will follow the building's involvement in entertainment for 80 years, from being the London venue for Hale's Tours of the World, through to it's closure after 55 years as the Academy in 1986.

As part of this I'll cover the people who were closely associated with it, their backgrounds and careers: Eric Hakim, Elsie Cohen, Basil Burton, George Hoellering, Ivo Jarosy and, of course, the artist Peter Strausfeld, author of the stunning lino-cut posters that are so unique to the cinema. Also of interest are the beginnings of the ICA and the Marquee Club (both of which originated in the basement of the Academy), Hoellering's films including Murder in the Cathedral and the photographer Angus McBean.

The book will compile, as completely as possible, a visual catalogue of all the art produced for the Academy, primarily by Strausfeld and I seek collectors of his work and other ephemera related to the cinema.

If you have any knowledge, photos, ephemera, memories of any of the above, or things I haven't yet thought of, please get in touch - I'd love to talk to you.

Pete :)

pete@academy-cinema.com / 07980 881745 / Twitter