The Bill Douglas Centre for the History of Cinema and Popular Culture at the University of Exeter is home to one of Britain's largest collections related to the history of film and visual media. It contains both a public museum and a research centre, housing approximately 60,000 books, prints, postcards, toys, photographs, posters and other materials. 

The story of the cinema is told through a series of displays on film history from the1890s. Meanwhile, a second gallery is devoted to the visual entertainments that were important precursors to the cinema. Visitors will find magic lanterns, shadow puppets, peep shows and zoetropes displayed alongside the stars of Hollywood, Disney toys, sheet music from film musicals and posters ranging from the earliest days of moving pictures to today's blockbusters.

The Centre welcomes visits from school parties, and is able to offer workshops on various topics, including: the history of projected images from shadow puppets to films; what makes a star; how films were first developed. Teachers are also welcome to contact the Centre's staff to discuss other topics for workshops, or to get help with planning sessions for use in school.

The research centre is open to anyone wanting to find out more about any topics relating to the history of the moving image. Students and staff from schools and other universities are warmly welcomed to make use of the facilities. The Centre is part of the School of English, which runs a number of courses in the history of film, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

The Bill Douglas Centre is open Monday to Friday 10 am-4 pm, except for Bank Holidays. For further information you can call 01392 264321, or send an e-mail to h.k.higton@exeter.ac.uk, or visit our website at http://www.ex.ac.uk/bill.douglas.