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
Oddly the can identifies the French branch office of Vitagraph, but the title is written in English rather than in French. The can itself has a diameter of 210 mm and a height of 40mm suitable for one reel. The The Poor Musician in particular had a length of 652 feet 3 or roughly 200 meters (officially 175 meters in France according to the listing in Ciné-Jorunal and the label itself). The label identifies the following details:
- THE VITAGRAPH CO., PARIS = Pre-printed as part of the label. Name of the branch office of the company.
- No. = A handwritten number 821506 (unclear which number it refers to, might be a production number).
- Length = The length of the film / reel. The stamped letters state 175 mètres. This means it was clearly designated for the French or European market.
- Title = The title of the formerly enclosed film (sadly it is empty). The stamped letters state The Poor Musician.
- NEW YORK CHICAGO – LONDON PARIS = Pre-printed as part of the label. The locations of the different branch offices of the Vitagraph Company.
Thoughts
There are two noteworthy details about the can. First the can features a highly decorative surface. It has a well crafted and executed print applying three full tone colours (red, gold, black) giving it a distinct quality. Even though the print is slightly off centre it still utilises the qualities well.
The second noteworthy detail is the label area. The print of the can has an area designated for labels directly under the logo overlapping with the circle in the background. This area was already intended in the original layout. This is a simple method to enhance the perception of depth giving the surface a dimensional quality.
The can appears to be a standard design, not one specifically made for the film. This can be inferred from the label, which provides the specifics of the film, while the rest of the can features only general details about the company Vitagraph.
While resources regarding film cans in general, and early ones in particular, seem to be rather limited, this example provides a great opportunity to appreciate the pride and playfulness of early film production and its creators, extending even to simple and tiny details such as modes of transportation for a film in the form of a can.
copyright
The images used are from a reproductions made by myself, the original creator of the film can is unknown.
sources
The film trade journal is available at Internet Archive (Moving Picture World, Ciné-Journal).