Radio and television presenter Simon Marnie visited the city recently to record his Sunday Brunch segment - in which he asks his guests about their favourite books, movies and music - with Mr Cowan.

In what he describes as a lively interview, Mr Cowan says he discussed his family background in the movie business, which goes back to the silent era of film (pre-1927), and his own career in the movie business and showed Mr Marnie items from his huge souvenir movie program collection - Australia's largest.

He said he also discussed and showed the popular ABC presenter items he will exhibit at the Bathurst Remembers World War Two Exhibition 2022, marking VJ Day and the end of World War Two.

The exhibition, which had to be postponed a number of times during the recent COVID years, will be held on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, August 12 to 15, in the heritage pavilions at Bathurst Showground.

Mr Cowan said his exhibit of movie memorabilia will be one of countless other displays, from 34 other exhibitors, at the World War Two exhibition.

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That will include more than 4000 items of military and World War Two memorabilia, uniforms, medals, military vehicles, photos and newspapers of the day.

There will also be talks by World War Two historians and authors.

The exhibition will be open from 9am to 5pm each day.

The Sunday Brunch segment that features Mr Cowan will be broadcast this Sunday, August 7 between 11.30am and midday on ABC Central West (frequency 549).

Mr Cowan will have World War Two-themed souvenir movie programs on display during the Bathurst Remembers World War Two Exhibition 2022.

He says souvenir movie programs were magazine-size booklets and were originally on sale at theatres or picture palaces (the forerunner to the modern cinema).

"This was from the early silent era of movies to mostly the late 60s in Australia," he said.

He said he will have between 60 and 70 of these programs on show, many of which have striking graphics on their covers.

Included, he said, will be programs for Since You Went Away (1944) from legendary producer David O. Selznick and The Story of GI Joe (1945), as well as from World War Two movies made in the decades after the war, including The Great Escape and The Bridge on the River Kwai.

"Many of these souvenir programs were only available to first-run city theatres in major US or UK cities - a rare exhibit for the Australian public," he said.

To add contrast, he said he will include some extremely rare vintage film fan magazines from the period, as well as programs for other non-war films and serials.

Program titles include Gone With the Wind (1939), which he said is the film that was seen by more people than any other film in the history of movies.

There will also be programs for the entertaining romantic musical Stage Door Canteen (1943) and Walt Disney's groundbreaking Fantasia (1940).

"Souvenir movie programs contain wonderful snapshots of the stars and movie scenes with interesting stories about filmmaking processes, etc," Mr Cowan said.

"These were only available in Australia during first release seasons."

Mr Cowan is looking for "a suitable venue and location to display these stunning programs, for longer periods, on a rotating basis, to the public".

"They cover 100 years of movie-making history from 1915 onwards from all film genres," he said.

"This could be a standalone exhibit or as a striking background to another."

For inquiries, contact 0408 742 991.