Thoughts about early cinema

  • Cold calling

    Sometime between the end of 1910 and the first days of January 1911, a postcard arrived in Frankfurt am Main. It was addressed to E. vom Werth & Co and was sent by the staff of Kinematographische Rundschau.

    (more…)

  • Modes of transportation II

    The above image shows a film can that was produced for the Berlin-based branch of the French company Eclipse. The lid of the can features the company‘s name circling around the center, which was intended for a label. The name is embossed and reads: „Eclipse“ Kinematographen und Films-Fabrik. Urban Trading Company, Berlin.. This resembles the spelling usually used by Eclipse in advertisements published from 1907 to the end of 1912.1 Urban Trading Co. was later dropped by the German branch of Eclipse, indicating that the can was produced prior to 1913.

    (more…)

  • Modes of transportation

    The above image shows a film can that was produced for the Paris based branch of the Vitagraph Company. It was used as packaging for The Poor Musician, a dramatic film that was scheduled for release in the USA on February 23, 1909.1 The subsequent release of the film in France was roughly three months later. It was listed as novelty under the title Pauvre Musicien! in Cine-Journal at the end of April 1909.2

    (more…)

  • Letters to V. Avril

    With the post Briefkasten. Kino. we got an overview of available trade journals for the German-Speaking audience in 1910. One of the listed journals is Internationale Film- und Kinematographen-Industrie. Illustrierte Fachzeitschrift für alle Gebiete der Projektionskunst und deren Schaustellungen. Since information regarding this trade journal is scarce I‘d like to use this post to showcase some physical remnants of this publication.

    (more…)

  • Briefkasten. Kino.

    (more…)

  • Lux and their German representative Gertrud Grünspan

    Sometimes I discover something by chance that seems so  
peculiar, unusual or just interesting that I like to write a short piece about it. In this case an ad by Gertrud Grünspan about her self proclaimed nonexisting business relation to Max Loeser was the trigger. As I try to at least slightly contextualise findings, research began ... and went on. In the case of Gertrud Grünspan information is pretty scarce. Weeks later it still feels incomplete and to be honest it probably never will due to lost or inaccessible sources. Anyway I hope you enjoy it nevertheless.

    Société Anonyme des Phonographers et Cinématographes Lux (in this article abbreviated as Lux) was founded in November 14, 1906, by Henri Joly. Until their demise in December 1913 the company produced more than 850 films and established itself as a major French producer behind Pathé Frères, Gaumont, Éclair and Éclipse.1

    (more…)

  • „Quovadis“ in Gefahr.

    Ad for Quo Vadis? in Bad Oeynhausener Anzeiger und Tageblatt.1

    On May 29, 1913, the Bad Oeynhausener Anzeiger und Tageblatt reported the following incident, that happened the day before.

    (more…)

  • Tillykke med fødselsdagen

    With the first issue of May 1913 the Erste Internationale Film Zeitung1 published a tribute to Ole Olsen who would turn 50 years old on May 5, 1913. It was mend to celebrate a well known and successful businessman who contributed his fair share to the success of the film industry in general and in Germany in particular. In that sense – Tillykke med fødselsdagen (Happy birthday).

    (more…)

  • Telephongespräch Montag morgen 9 Uhr! Drring…

    Anonymous ad in Herforder Kreisblatt, published on May 26, 1913.1

    (more…)

  • Enforcing the monopoly

    Ad by Martin Dentler.1

    (more…)