The Paramount Pictures pressbooks span the years 1920-1965 and encompass 5.5 linear feet. The collection contains 42 volumes. The bound volumes contain printed press sheets prepared and issued by the Publicity Department of the studio for use by exhibitors in advertising Paramount's films in their theaters. The volumes are dated 1920 and 1926-1965. There are no pressbooks covering the releases of January 1921 to July 1926. Three volumes not in the original Paramount gift are on loan from Universal and cover August 1935 to July 1936, 1942-1943, and 1948-1949.

Paramount Pictures, Inc., is one of Hollywood's oldest continuously operating film studios. Its history goes back to 1912, when studio executive Adolph Zukor imported the French feature film QUEEN ELIZABETH, starring Sarah Bernhardt, and used it to launch his Famous Players Film Company. Famous Players merged with the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company in 1916 to form Famous Players-Lasky, which acquired a controlling interest in Paramount Pictures Corporation, at the time a two-year old distribution entity. In 1933 the company declared bankruptcy, Lasky was ousted, and the company reorganized to emerge as Paramount Pictures, Inc., with Zukor serving as chairman of the board emeritus. Gulf+Western acquired the company in 1966, followed by Viacom, Inc. in 1994. The studio is located in Hollywood.