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Volume 1 of
A History of Early Film begins with the period of technical invention. It then moves to the arrival of the first screenings in Britain. It includes an evocative selection of advertisements for the earliest films from scarce periodicals. The last section covers 1901-6 as the medium of cinema developed.
List of contents
Part 1: Invention 1. 'Edison's Kinematograph Experiments', W. K-L. Dickson, Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly, Nos 2-8 1907 2. 'Lantern Projection of Moving Objects', Amateur Photographer, 13 March 1896 Part 2: Victorian Cinema (1894-1901) 1. 'Hand and Glove at the Aquarium' Punch, 30 October 1897 2. 'A Mutoscopic Romance' Alfred Angus, Penny Pictorial, 23 September 1899 3. 'Our Future King at Play', The Harmsworth Magazine, October 1900 4. Selection of Victorian Film and Film Equipment Advertisements (1896-7) from The Optician and Photographic Trades Review, The Photographic Dealer and The Photogram. Part 3: The Medium Develops (1901-6) 1. 'Cinematography for All' Henry V. Hopwood, The Optician, 29 March 1901 2. 'Round the World for the Biograph' H. L. Adam, The Royal Magazine, April 1901. 3. Front Cover, The Showman, September 1900 4. 'Animated Photography' (back cover), The Showman, 3 January 1902 5. 'William Clark' The Showman, 1 February 1901 6. Front Cover, The Showman, 26 July 1901 7. 'Music and Effects in Cinematography' T. C. Hepworth, The Showman, 6 September 1901 8. 'Cinematograph Show under the new L. C. C. rules' (cartoon), The Showman, 8 March 1901. 9. 'First in 1893' (Gaumont advertisement), The Showman, 22 March 1901 10. 'London to Johannesburg with the Bioscope' J. Johnson Wood, The Showman, 12 April 1901 11. 'Animated Pictures and Elocution' The Showman, 20 September 1901 12. 'The House For Films', The Showman, 4 October 1901 13. 'Mechanical Effects and Moving Pictures' Optical Lantern and Kinematography Journal, June 1906 14. Urban Films Catalogue (Charles Urban Trading Company, June 1905).
About the author
Stephen Herbert trained as a media technician, and spent many years in film exhibition and production. His interest in the origins of the moving image led to Stephen co-editing the influential book and website Who’s Who of Victorian Cinema, and contributions to academic journals. He ran the small press The Projection Box, and has recently retired as a freelance museum consultant.
Summary
Volume 1 of A History of Early Film begins with the period of technical invention. It then moves to the arrival of the first screenings in Britain. It includes an evocative selection of advertisements for the earliest films from scarce periodicals. The last section covers 1901-6 as the medium of cinema developed.
