Stephen Herbert – författare

This set collects together for the first time rare and scattered material on the history of pre-cinema. It includes articles on stereoscopic photography; the use of kaleidoscopes; optical illusions; theatre design; magic lanterns and mirrors; shadow theatre, and much more. The articles are taken from sources such as The Magazine of Science, The Art Journal, The British Journal of Photography, Scientific American, American Journal of Science and Arts, and The Mirror.

'Early Film' is generally taken to cover the period of invention (early 1890s) to the First World War. During the past twenty years, early film has become a sophisticated area of cinema studies, with its own methodology. This collection is taken from a British perspective and includes:* The Cinema - Its Present Position and Future Possibilities: A report to the cinema Commission of Enquiry (Williams & Norgate, 1917).This substantial and wide-ranging report, from the end of the Early Cinema period, provides a unique record of the attitudes towards the cinema by its British audiences, exhibitors, producers, the clergy and guardians of morality, and those responsible for licensing. Considerable coverage is given to such subjects as: lighting in cinemas (an encouragement to immoral activity); whether villainous deeds depicted on screen influence young members of the audience; and the reasons for the very high percentage of American films shown.Also included is a chapter from Vachel Lindsay's The Art of the Moving Picture (1915, reprinted 1970s but now out of print). This early book of film theory and criticism was published just at the time that short films had largely given way to feature-length productions. Lindsay compares what he bravely considers a new art form - moving pictures - with established artistic mediaThis three volume set vividly illustrates the roots of the twentieth century phenomenon of film and the cinema. The re-production of these important contemporary sources, now unavailable in print, provides the student and film aficionado with an invaluable resource.

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.

Volume 2 of A History of Early Film examines filmmaking and presentation during the latter part of the early cinema period. Technology did not stand still during these years and despite problems with editing, synchronization and amplification, many auditoria were fitted with sound-film equipment during the early cinema periods. Much of the discussion in the trade magazines revolved around economic and commercial subjects, including expenses incurred in complying with new laws, and the damage caused by irresponsible promoters. Among the material included is a complete reprint of the 1913 edition of Colin Bennett's The Handbook of Kinematography. Technical production is covered with a section on micro-kinematography, tele-kinematography and general natural history filming. Film exhibition is also discussed and a final chapter covers coyright and censorship.

Volume 3 of A History of Early Film examines critical responses to early cinema, including the impassioned thoughts of one of the first film critics, the American poet Vachel Lindsay and considers some contemporary judgements of the social aspects of moving pictures. The volume also includes the 1917 report The Cinema: Its Present Position and Future Possibilities...which provides a unique record of the attitudes towards the cinema by its British audiences exhibitors, producers, guardians of morality and those responsible for licensing.

The contents of A History of Pre-Cinema Volume 1 (and its companion volumes 2 and 3) cover the optical devices used for entertainment and instruction that proliferated before the introduction of cinema. To view pre-cinema devices merely as steps towards the cinema, however, would be a very narrow perspective. They were - and in some cases still are - self-contained media with their own peculiarities, differences, potential and limitations. This volume concentrates on items published before the spread of the cinema and later references to devices of that period. Having easy access to original texts in facsimile is a useful resource for researchers. Volume 1 is divided into the following sections: The camera obscura; Photography; Stereoscopy; Moving photographs; Chronophotography; Optical, philosophical toys.

A History of Pre-Cinema Volume 2 (and volumes 1 and 3) cover the optical devices used for entertainment and instruction that proliferated before the introduction of cinema. Volume 2 is divided into the following sections: Peepshows; The Panorama; The Diorama; Magic Mirrors; Shadowplay; Magic Lanterns; Pepper's Ghost; Recreative Science; Various Optical Devices.

Volume 3 of A History of Pre-Cinema contains a complete reprint of Olive Cook's book Movement in Two Dimensions. In it, the author carefully describes how each of the technologies worked, but she is more concerned with the aesthetic and cultural than the technical.

In the 21st Century, broadcast television is an established part of the lives of many millions of people all over the world, bringing information and entertainment directly into our homes. The pieces in this volume date from 1879 to 1934 and consist of a selection of books, articles and news items relating to the first developmental period of television, before it became the ubiquitous medium that we know today. The selection is English language material only.

In the 21st Century, broadcast television is an established part of the lives of many millions of people all over the world, bringing information and entertainment directly into our homes. This three volume collection provides source materials for those with a new interest in the history of early television, and is a valuable resource for researchers requiring access to facsimiles of original texts.The set consists of two important 1920s-1930s books relating to television, and a collection of short articles covering the social, aesthetic, and technical aspects of the medium. Items range from 1870s prophecies, experiments and cartoons, to 1930s accounts of the first public broadcasting systems in Britain, Germany, and the USA. The pieces are from newspapers, specialist journals of the period, and popular magazines. Technical articles included are chosen for their accessibility to non-specialists with limited technical knowledge. The selection comments on the progress of television in many parts of the world.The set includes a general introduction by the editor, which places each item in context and provides a comprehensive account of the medium through 1940.The second volume starts with another selection from Television magazine and also includes selected chapters from the Book of Practical Television.

In the 21st Century, broadcast television is an established part of the lives of many millions of people all over the world, bringing information and entertainment directly into our homes. This three volume collection provides source materials for those with a new interest in the history of early television, and is a valuable resource for researchers requiring access to facsimiles of original texts.The set consists of two important 1920s-1930s books relating to television, and a collection of short articles covering the social, aesthetic, and technical aspects of the medium. Items range from 1870s prophecies, experiments and cartoons, to 1930s accounts of the first public broadcasting systems in Britain, Germany, and the USA. The pieces are from newspapers, specialist journals of the period, and popular magazines. Technical articles included are chosen for their accessibility to non-specialists with limited technical knowledge. The selection comments on the progress of television in many parts of the world.The set includes a general introduction by the editor, which places each item in context and provides a comprehensive account of the medium through 1940. This volume consists of pieces from the New York Times, Popular Mechanics and selected chapters from Television - A Struggle for Power and We Present Television.