A History of Early Film V1

Volume 1 of A History of Early Film begins with the period of technical invention. The story of Edison's peepshow Kinetoscope, set up in arcades from April 1894, is told by W. K. L. Dickson. 'Lantern Projection of Moving Objects' heralds the arival of the first screenings in Britain, arranged by Auguste and Louis Lumière, Robert Paul and Birt Acres, announcing the new medium as a progressive development of optical moving-image toys, magic lantern projection and the Kinetoscope. It includes an evocative selection of advertisements for the earliest films and cinematographic apparatus of 1896-7. The last part of the volume covers 1901-6 as the medium of cinema developed.

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.

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).