NRLF

GIFT OF

MICHAEL REE^E

Librarian Series. No. 3.

CINEMATOGRAPH FILMS:

Their National Value and Preservation.

BY

ALEX. J . PHILIP

REPRINTED FROM "THE LIBRARIAN"

STANLEY PAUL & CO., 31, ESSEX STREET, STRAND, W.C.

'Price Sixpence Net.

Cinematograph Films : their National Value and Preservation.

By Alex. J. Philip.

The rapid development of the cinematograph during the last few years, and its phenomenal rise in public favour, with the consequent endeavour to improve the process, have not left time for the realization of the whole significance of this method of permanently projecting scenes and events. There is a vague thought present in the minds of most of the guardians of the nation's history and literature that some- where, something of real value may be found in this 'con- nection ; but, so far, there has been only one attempt recorded to do anything by way of making a systematic collection of films, and preparing them with a view to their permanent preservation.

There are two points to be considered in the matter : one, the value of the films — not the monetary, but the historical value ; two, the possibility of their preservation.

We shall deal with both, at the same time making clear, as far as it is possible to do so in a professional and non- technical journal, the history, method of manufacture and the practice of use.

We will endeavour to demonstrate, in the first place, the historical value of the cinematograph film. We shall not attempt to do this to the satisfaction of those who profess to see no value in history — there are such. As a demonstrable fact, all knowledge is the result primarily of history, and it is on that supposition we start. There is comparatively little interest or historical value in the events of yesterday, but the increase that takes place day by day> as. the event recedes into the past, is only comparable with the accumu- lation of compound interest, until, if we were able to produce cinematograph films of, say, Roman daily life and Roman

285644

; r >

• . • .

2

Court ceremonial, we would have added inestimably to our knowledge of the people ; while if we had had films of their potters' work, their builders, their diggers, their making of roads, their making of cement, and their legal procedure, we should have had at our disposal a store of knowledge which would have satisfied the most exacting of materialists, who are satisfied only by the modern philosopher's stone which produces 22 /- on every pound invested in work, in education, or in pleasure. More than that, however, we would never have gone back in our knowledge of art and craft and manufacture. Even the " rude barbarians " whom the Romans conquered, and who in turn conquered the Romans, would have been taught by the pictoral present- ment of the Cinema. It must not be supposed that this is an impossible picture or even a farce. Because, if the prognostications of religious fanatics are disregarded, it may be reasonably supposed that the world will still be inhabited two thousand years hence, when our period will stand in the same relationship — in regard to time at least — to the people of that period as the period of the Roman invasion stands to ours now. In reality, however, we shall be much farther away, judging from present conditions, as events move so much more quickly now than they appear to have done then. However, the broad fact remains that the whole object of all the libraries and all the museums in the world is the conservation and presentment of all knowledge for the use of each present and all succeeding generations. There are two distinct " lines," if I may so describe them : one, the desirability of showing to many spectators the reconstruction of the past ; and two, the preservation for the future of events that are taking place now.

If we come more to our own time, it is quite easy to turn to a number of lost arts and industries which might have been saved to us if there had been some such method of record as that now furnished by the cinematograph. Day by day the craft of the country is diminishing, in the the old time meaning of the word. Here and there — but everywhere in time — an improved process or a more highly-finished machine does away with a further portion of one or other of the passing crafts. Not that the inter- vention of machinery and specialization are to be regretted in an age such as this. But it is to be regretted that there

is in most cases no record — no real, reliable, workable record — of the craft, although such is now possible with the cinematograph.

Let us come nearer to our own period, however. There would be aesthetic satisfaction and material profit in a com- plete knowledge of the life, the art and the craft of the Elizabethan periods of the eighteenth, and even of the last centuries. It is a truism to say that we progress only on our knowledge of the past.

If we turn to the great and the Royal events of history, we realize how stirring to patriotism and loyalty it would be if we could see to-day a film of Alfred's Navy, the first in England, or one of the battle of Trafalgar. There is nothing incongruous in this : amongst the films which Mr. Urban has signified, through us, his intention of presenting to the nation, are those of the Coronation of the King and others equally interesting and important.

All this is on the past, and can be regarded only as an object lesson. The real way of looking at the subject is to inquire how, and to what extent, pictures — motion pictures as they are termed — could be made valuable to us and to those who will follow us. And here we have numerous directions in which much can be done in the way of recording other things than historic events, however valuable they may be. These have been already hinted at, but it may be advisable to describe some of them with closer detail. All manufactures are suitable for permanent record so far as it would be useful to convey knowledge to other people, although I am well aware that not many manufacturers are willing to allow any information regarding their pro- cesses to be disseminated outside. This is one reason why so many of the so-called textbooks contain so little of value to the practical student. Travel pictures are also a source of profit to the spectator. Real naval or military pictures are also of very considerable value to the expert — I mean, of course, motion pictures as they are taken and not as they are presented to popular audiences. Science and art also present many directions in which the cinematograph film may be permanently stored with the greatest result.

The invention of the cinematograph was the natural outcome of the gradual growth of knowledge of a special kind among men who were peculiarly able to appreciate their knowledge. It was not like the invention of Elia's

Scotsman, produced complete ready made, but was slowly and laboriously evolved from small beginnings — a structure gradually erected brick by brick. During recent years, however, the speed of its evolution has been so rapid that one might be forgiven for supposing that it was an invention, the result of a sudden single inspiration. The idea can be traced back quite easily to the toy, "the wheel of life," while probably all our readers are familiar with the children's penny books in which only half the pages are printed. The leaves are taken between finger and thumb, the book — quite a small thing by the way — is bent back and the leaves released one by one with great rapidity. These were the beginnings of the modern cinematograph film. The film of the present motion picture is the result of numerous inventions and the subject of various patents. It is re- corded that before the introduction of the celluloid film, animated pictures from glass plates were shown in Piccadilly, but, in general, it is quite true to say that without the celluloid film cinematography, as we know it, would have been quite impossible. After many failures by many inventors with gelatine, transparent paper and celluloid itself, Eastman and Walker, of Rochester, U.S.A., brought out and put on the market a celluloid roller film coated with a thick solution of gun cotton in wood alcohol. Gelatine was not reliable, transparent paper was not clear, but the celluloid treated in this way was, after many disappointments, found to be the right medium. The first strip was put upon the market in 1889. From that time, in 23 years, the industry has growrn until every village, every town and every city appears to have a " cinema." Much of this is due to Edison. Although the film difficulty appeared to have been solved at length, the machine was very crude and not always reliable.

This period in the development of the cinematograph is particularly interesting. The early kinetoscope had been patented in America, but not in England. W. Paul of Hatton Garden made the machines and placed them upon the market here. The film makers of America naturally refused to sell the films in this country. This, however, only served to stimulate competition, and Mr. Paul set about producing animated pictures projected on to a screen. Up to then the kinetoscope had permitted only one person at a time to view the pictures. Success is described as

having taken place in 1895 at 3 o'clock in the night, near Hatton Garden. The police, alarmed by the noise with which success was heralded, forced an entry and were shown a 40 foot film — the first perfected animated picture to be thrown on a screen. Early in 1896 pictures were shown in public.

This was only the beginning, however, and the films and the machines of the present day bear little resemblance to those of fifteen years ago. Mr. Edison and other inventors have been at work on both films and machines. A standard gauge, or size, has been adopted for the whole world, a uniform speed both for taking and projecting pictures is recognised — in the case of black and white pictures this is 16 to the second ; and in that of kine- macolour, the rate is 32 to the second. Vast sums of money have been sunk in the industry, and it is quite safe to say that in no other industry of any kind, not even the flying machine — which was tackled a couple of centuries back — has progress been so rapid and extensive.

Like the modern novel, the beginning and the end of this article are the important parts, the middle is merely interest. In the commencement we emphasized the value of films, in the last part we shall deal with the cost and the means of preserving them. We have already lightly touched upon the history ; it therefore only remains for us to describe " how it is done."

Ordinary black and white cinematography — or kine- matography, as it should be — is much more easily understood than the making and projection of coloured films. In both, however, it is the application of the well-known scientific phenomenon that a rapid succession of impressions on the eye convey the appearance of continuous motion. The animated pictures, therefore, are taken at the rate of 16 to each second, as already stated, this being admittedly the best. Stated still more simply, 16 distinct photographs are taken on a continuous roll of celluloid film of the moving objects to be reproduced, each second. They are shown on the screen at the same speed, thus conveying the appearance of the same speed as shown by the object photographed. If the photographs have been taken at a greater speed than this, the motion will be slower than that of the original when the picture is projected on to the screen, and vice versa. The film — the average length of the film is a thousand feet —

is rolled round a large metal reel. Both sides of the film are pierced with small holes which fit on to a sprocket wheel. The turning of a handle by the operator brings the film in front of the illuminated lens of the projecting lantern, after which it is wound up on an empty reel below. That is the principle. There are numerous devices — artful little dodges — for various objects. A revolving shutter, accurately geared, shuts off the light from the screen like a flash, as each picture passes. A small slot in a closed box prevents a film burning at least for more than the small portion ex-- posed. There is a certain amount of uncertainty in some places as to flammable film. Whether the law intended to denote films that could not be burned under any circum- stances, or only films that would not readily catch fire, is still said to be in doubt. Certainly there are few things that will not burn at a sufficiently high temperature.

An entirely new department in theatrical life has arisen in the formation of cinematograph companies, of which the caste is frequently given, and the characters recognised wherever they are shown. This, however, is not of much interest at the present time, as we are concerned only with the pictures of actual events and not with the reproduction of enacted scenes. Nor can we digress to describe any of the many methods of " faking " pictures, methods which lend so much to the amusing side of motion pictures.

With regard to coloured cinematograph films, I cannot do better than reproduce portions of a chapter on the subject from Mr. Johnson's Photography in Colours :

"The principle of the Kinematograph depends on what is called ' persistence of vision ' and the continued perception of the changing object. When light is reflected from a moving object it forms an image at the back of the eye, and produces a nerve current which passes along every one of the fibres which receive the image and collectively carry the impression along the optic nerve to the brain. This sensation is not instantaneous, but is divided up into four periods : ist, a latent period which is almost instan- taneous, and during which nothing appears to happen ; 2nd, a very short period — probably less than TTO of a second — during which the sensation reaches the maximum ; 3rd, a much longer period, ife to A of a second (the time varying directly with the intensity of the illumination), during which the sensation slowly diminishes ; and 4th, a short period of

decline, during which the effect dies away. In the case of a moving object on which attention is directed, the fourth period remains unnoticed, because a new image takes the place of the old one before that period arrives. The whole of kinematography depends on this third period, by which the first impession, A (Fig. 29), lingers until replaced by the second one, B, and the second one is again replaced by a third one, C, and so on.

"This explains why, when a lighted stick is whirled round, it forms an unbroken circle of fire, and why a stream of water allowed to drop from a pipe appears to form a continual stream, and not a series of droplets, as is really the case ; and just as the first impression of a moving object melts into the next one, so a series of colours pass before the eye, as in the familiar colour -top which carries a card divided into sections painted blue, green, and red. If the top be spun rapidly, each colour fuses into the next, and a combined sensation of white appears to the eye. It is this last principle that Mr. Urban and Mr. Smith have so cleverly made use of in their ' Kinemacolor ' apparatus.

" In working out his method of kinematograph pictures in colours, Mr. Smith based his first experiments on an instrument somewhat similar to the Ives' Kromskop, and also on the same inventor's triple projecting lantern. The principle of the analysis of the colours in the object photo- graphed, and the subsequent building up of the colour- records to produce a coloured result, is similar in both cases. In his earliest experiments, he made use of strip film negatives taken alternately through red, green, and blue filters. When he had made a positive film from this negative film, and proceeded to project his pictures on to the screen by red, green, and blue light respectively, the results were almost colourless, on account of the excessive actinic action of the blue light which had produced the blue negative record ; and the correspondingly overpowering effect of the blue light which reached the screen through the blue filter. This obliterated both the other two images. In other words, the exposure necessary to get satisfactory red and green records was utterly out of scale with that required for the blue record.

" Another serious objection to the use of red, green and blue was that the normal speed of the kinematograph film, which is one foot per second (each foot carrying sixteen

8

exposures), required to be increased to three feet per second (forty-eight exposures in the same time). Such an increase of speed would, of course, involve prohibitive expense and complicated and expensive mechanical devices for the manipulation of the films at this high speed.

" Further experiments with the Ives' Kromskop and the comparison of the appearance of the coloured image when viewed in daylight (illuminated with white sky) as compared with artificial illumination, led Mr. Smith to the following discovery. If the blue light in the former case were cut off, the appearance of the coloured image was utterly spoilt. In the latter case, however, the blue light could be dispensed with altogether without seriously altering the effect of the coloured image. He attributes these phenomena to the fact that most artificial lights are very deficient in blue — a fact well known to every photographer. Our eyes are to some extent accustomed to this excess of red and green rays (i.e. yellow rays) and deficiency of blue ones.

" As a result of the above, Mr. Smith has perfected the ' Kinemacolor ' apparatus to use red and green filters only, the want of blue being met by using a green filter which passes a considerable amount of blue light."

Before leaving the subject of coloured films, we may say we have been informed that an entirely new system will be introduced about September in this year.

Films for showing are frequently cut down ; for instance, the Durbar took about 8,000 feet of film, but this is rarely shown complete.

We have now a short space in which to describe the practical side of the realization of this proposal.

First as to the film. In size each picture is roughly J x I inch. The average length of a black and white film is one thousand feet, giving a total of 16,000 pictures. This, when rolled, fills a tin box — allowing for the fact that it is round — about equal to a royal octavo volume, although of course, it is much heavier. It will thus be seen that the question of space is not of greater importance than it would be in a library. In fact it is of less importance, because the number of published films does not in any way approach the number of books published during the same period, and in addition, very many of these films are frankly amusing, and would find no place in a national historical repository.

The method of classifying films, covering as these do already historical, scientific, artistic and technical subjects, omitting, of course, films of reconstructed subjects, would be exactly the same as those at present applied to books under any of the various schemes of classification.

The life of a film, like that of a book, is determined by the treatment it receives. The period varies from one year, during which the film has been in daily use, to an estimate of fifty years, the latter resting upon the assumption that every care has been taken, and that the film has been only rarely used. On the other hand, if the film is not used, it is of no practical value. It is obvious, however, that new films can be readily reprinted from the old. Any period in between these depends upon the use and care given to the film, in just the same degree as the difference between a popular novel and an early manuscript. Twenty-five might be taken as a fair average, if ordinary methods are used. These methods are (i) keeping films in air-tight tins ; (2) rewinding at intervals ; (3) keeping cool and free from damp ; (4) washing once a year with clear water or a solution of water and glycerine to 5%, well drying after.

Now as to the cost of films. The blank film — what might be described as the raw material — is priced at if-d. or 2d. a foot. Complete with pictures the cost is 4d. a foot. Coloured films range from 6d. to 8d. a foot — and, in all probability, most films will be coloured at no very distant date, either as real coloured photography, or machine- coloured films. From this it appears that to buy a complete black and white film of average length would cost, say, £10. If this will last with reasonable wear for 25 years, we have a cost of 8/- a year for stock only. If we take the average annual additions as 500 — although this must be obviously mere guess work — we have an annual charge of £5>oo° f°r stock. In addition, there is the cost of administration and attendance, replacements, repairs, lanterns, operators, etc. Altogether the cost, say £20,000 a year, is a mere bagatelle for a national institution, although it is quite out of the question for a local institution. The local institution, how- ever, has its sphere of usefulness in taking and preserving records of local events. These, as a rule, are not very numerous, probably not more than ten or twelve each year.

The rules of a national reference institution such as has been outlined cannot be given here, but it is obvious that

10

the use of the institution must be restricted to bona fide students of their particular subjects.

It has been possible only to outline very briefly the scheme proposed. But a nucleus is already to hand in the formation of a kinematograph collection by Mr. Urban' s munificent offer to present the historic films he has made and collected during the time kinemacolour has been in use. Probably, although I have no authority for saying so, Mr. Urban and others would be prepared to present from time to time other films when they were no longer in demand for popular exhibitions.

This suggested National Cinematograph Library must not be confused with the everyday use of films for scientific and educational purposes in schools, colleges, and medical and other lecture theatres, where films are hired for use and returned when done with. This practice is in use already, and would not be affected in any way by my proposal.

The developments of the cinematograph are so rapid that it is almost impossible to keep pace with the advances made from day to day. The latest development — at present at least — is the solution of the problem of what may be termed the co-operation of the cinematograph and the gramophone. The difficulties in accomplishing this may not appear very great at first sight ; as a matter of fact, however, they baffled experiments for some time. The task was, of course, to present the voice and the picture to appeal to the eye and the ear — at the precise psychological moment — of an audience of almost any size. This has now been accom- plished, and it will be possible to show animated pictures accompanied by the dialogue of the actors in their natural voices. This marvellous combination still further increases the immense value of the cinematograph, and is an additional plea, if such were needed, for our demand — it is nothing less — for official and systematic preservation of films and records. A propos of this paper, it is interesting to learn that the Voice Museum, which was officially inaugurated in the basement of the Paris Opera by M. Pedro Gailhard in 1907, has received another year's addition to its voice records of the best singers who have been heard at the Paris Opera and elsewhere, and also some other records that will be of value for the history of music. The ceremony, which has now become an annual one, was presided over by M. Leon Berard, Under Secretary of State for Fine Arts.

II

The museum consists of phonographic discs, carefully wrapped in asbestos and covered with glass, which for greater protection are placed separately in hermetically sealed metallic boxes, from which the air is exhausted. The boxes are placed in rows on shelves in the vaults, and when each shelf is full, the front of the vault is walled up. The discs are not supposed to be opened for one hundred years. The singer's name and a detailed instruction as to how to use the disc are placed inside each box.

The first discs placed in the vaults included the voices of such singers as Tamagno, Scotti, Mme. Calve, Adelina Patti, Schumann, Heink, and a piece executed by Kubelik. The discs added to this year's collection contain the voices of the tenor Franz, Caruso, Amato, Mme. Sembrich, Geraldine Farrar, Bessie Abbott, Tetrazzini, and a piano piece by Paderewski. The ceremony, although it was described as a " burial of the voices/' had nothing funereal about it.

Brief as this short paper is, it may succeed in promoting the formation of the suggested National Cinematograph Library.

Before leaving the subject finally, however, I must express my thanks to Mr. Smith of the Edison Company, and Mr. Urban of Kinemacolor, for their kindness and courtesy in supplying me with all the technical information I required, and for reading the proofs of the article as it appeared in the pages of The Librarian.

"LIBRARIAN" SERIES OF REPRINTS.

1. Suggestions towards a Constructional Revision of the Dewey

Classification. By Arthur John Hawkes.

Price Sixpence net. Reprinted from " The Librarian." A valuable contribution to the knowledge of cataloguing in general and the Dewey system 800 and 900 in particular. Essential to erery user of the Decimal system, and to every student.

2. Library Assistants' Association : an outline of its development

and work. By W. Benson Thome.

Price Sixpence net. Reprinted from "The Librarian." For the first time the complete history of this most progressive association is told in a handy form.

3. Cinematograph Films: Their National value and preservation.

By Alex. J. Philip.

Price Sixpence net. Reprinted trom " The Librarian." Cinemato- graphs and the Public Library; how each can belp the other.

form. The subjects of these will be announced in " The Librarian Book World " from time to time.

Published by STANLEY PAUL & CO., 31, Essex Street, Strand, W.C.

THE Series of Technical Library Manuals: 1. The Production of the

Printed Catalogue.

By ALEX. J. PHILIP.

The Preparation, Printing, and Publication of Catalogues of Libraries, Museums, and Art Galleries, Publishers, Booksellers, and Business Houses. With an appendix of type faces.

A practical handbook for everyone concerned with printing.

r- net. PAUL & CO., 31, ESSEX ST., W.C.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

THE SERIES OF TECHNICAL LIBRARY MANUALS.

2. The

Business of Bookbinding

Bookbinding from the point of view of the binder, the publisher, the librarian and the general reader. With chapters on the manu- facture of binders' leather and cloth, and a description of a working bindery, together with a glossary of terms used in leather and cloth iiifacture and binding.

ALEX j. PHILIP

Crown octavo in size, and contains approximately 240 pages, besides numerous samples of cloth and leather, specially dis- played for colour, grain, and material. Photo-micrographs of paper .fibres, by Clayton Beadle, Esq., illustrate the chapter dealing with book papers. The chapter on leather and its preparation is by Professor Proctor, the well-known expert. The glossary of terms, which is probably the most complete ever presented to the public, has been compiled with the ;tance of J. Drew Applebv .nl others.

The book is not historical, nor is it practice m the sense that it tells the amateur how to bind books — information he can obtain from numerous sources. It does tell the practical man rJl he wants to know about getting his books bound, whether at a business house or in the library bindery,

Price 6/- net.

STANLEY PAUL & Co,, 31, Essex St., W.C,

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY