New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-07-16
Selma NO|ZokS 0WCr SA~aazzzw
Bessie orgy SSHso THIS HS|" ASzoz"

motion pictures, cites as one OF the"
Charles Pathe-now known whers
ever motion pictures are PROJECTED
AS the result of his experiment.
Paul, in the spring Of 1895, produce:
a picture of the type commonly use:
-day-forty feet in length and "a
pable of projecting a picture seyv
feet square. In February of 1895 h
gave this TO the world under he
name of the "Theatrograph," whe
was first shown as a scientific woi'
der at the Finsbury Technical Col
lege and then in the library OF M
Royal Institute. Two subjects ven
shown, "A Shoeblack at Work IN !
London Street" and "A Rough Sea &
Dover"
Among the guests at the Royal b
stitute was Lady Harris. wife Of 81
Augustus Harris, whose achieve
ments in the field OF melodrsms are
familiar 10 all theatregoers. Hear.
ing from his wife a description q
the "Theatrograph," Sir Augustus
hunted up Paul and closed tss
with him 10 exhibit the nine a.
wonder" at the Olympia, Londs,.
thus establishing the first institu,l',
in the world devoted exclusively +.
the projection OF motion pictur,i
IL is a rather amusing circums,ana
that the terms of the transae,ia'
were an equal division precissll
the same that govern the present.
ton OF a big feature to-day 10
Broadway theatre under the eups'
NOUS term 5000"
Before many weeks Paul brouss'
forth an improvement on his pro
Jeeting device, which he called ~
"Animetograph, and on March ~
1896. this was presented at the A.
hambra Theatre, London. The COS
tract contemplated an sppesranesid
fourteen days, but the engsgenien
proved so successful that II ran ia
four years.
There was nothing shown az u.s.
time that could be regarded otse''
wise than as topical film. The SUB
Jects shown were everyday ineidena
that took place on the street, and
was not until long after that an o.
tempt was made AZ comedy or trsns
The first attempt OF the latter sort
which | can find any record was ecf'
siderably later. when a COMEDY
drama entitled "A Soldiers Coar
ship" was made on the roof OF ~
same Alhambra Theatre. About ~
same time Edison was experiencing
in this country with revolving sag
paraphernalia which he termed ]"
Black Maria" because for TECHNICS
reasons the sombre hue was so arr
ly employed In his apparatus ~
Mutoscope Company also was COZ.
Quoting operations along the ns
lines on a rooftop in New YORK Wv
Such progress was made by ne
and other experimenters that N
Richard G. Hollaman, OF Eden Nu's
this city, began active operation
the filming Of what would t0-da!
called three-reel feature, "Iher
sion Play" The ilm was 3,OOo (
in length. which was the saf'
for exhibition purposes until me-,
few years, when pictures o. rn,
length came into vogue. hois.s
had been a pioneer in taxing w.
motion picture novelty, ana a.
will bear me out in that they
saw motion picture in the ole =.
Musee, West Twenty-third s'ls
These, for the greater part 49,
French importations -comed'c
involved antics Of clowns VINO -
through the moon and pe'i0'~
similar stunts. a..
Hollaman's picture % "lm
sion Play" proved the first gres
sation OF the industry. i, was
on a New York roof, ard wnssI
troduced at Eden Musee enloy~s
run of six months 70 eapae'ys.s
subsequently became the y .,s
feature film and was shown 81
the world. ~
All this by way OF proving
the motion picture was not 80
years after 1896" and also 70 ssrv
that the so-called topical was ~
runner OF the photoplay a.. %
The topical has preserved w. a.
ularity abroad even 20 gress.hs
tent than in this country, Pros
because Of the pomp and psnops.,s
ISOLATED with European 'unSp
Il was given its great raf (
1896. when the Derby, the eIsn.sss
lish horserace run at Epson ~
WAS projected on the screen o. -
AIh.mhrs Theatre. breaking aI
as -o,o;r,s for ,his famous vts~