El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-08-09
Early Days OfThe Motion Picture Game;
Discovery By Office Clerk In Washington;
D. W. Griffith Real 'Father Of Pictures 3"

By s. E. v. TAYLOR in 9Camera."
and the place, his home town. Rich
mold, Ind
jenkins had Invented his projecting
machine and camera in Washington
during his spare hours while employed
IS a clerk in the treasury department.
When he had perfected his machine
he made a picture about 100 feet long
OF serpentine dancer, whose name
was AnnabeL By the way. she re-
ceived the munificenr sum OF So for
her entire performance.
Even after he ran this photo
graphic reproduction in his own room.
jenkins was not convinced that II
would be interesting unless he could
get life-lille colors on It Sc he con-
suited miniature artist in Wash
ingtOn. by the name Of Mrs. Boise as
to the possibility Of doing something
like that on his picture. She under
took the task. using dyes for her COL
cring process and working by hand
finally succeeded In colOring the en-
tire film-that Is. the dress and Ana
bells reddish gold hair.
jenkins felt uncertain about show
ing his achievement to any Of his
friends in washington His thoughts
turned to his home IN Indiana and
here he determined to show his pic
ture to an audience.
He reached Richmond early in June
and his cousin. a local jeweler. was
the first man he preached the sub
jet TO and made an arrangement to
show the picture in his store on the
night OF June 6. There was no cleo
tricity in the establishment but he
had wire run IN and his brother
complained considerable during the
day about the Interference with the
regular business Of the esta blishment
but he was a good sport and allowed
Q. Francis jenkins to continue with
his enterprise.
The projecting machine was placed
at one end OF the apartment and a six
foot square OF white muslin tackled
across the back wall. The little audi
encs which he invited TO see the pic
ture that night was COMPOSED OF Jen-
kin's father and mother. a few rela-
tives, a small number OF close friends
Of the family and several local news
paper men
The little audience gathered and
about half past eight pulled down the
shades OF the store, fastening them At
prevent stray rays from the street
lights coming in and also the eyes OF
the curious when he turned on his
powerful arc light He had trouble
getting the arc burning properly. it
sputtered and Kissed 70 the great con-
Germ OF the women present for this
was IN the salad days Of even electric
lights and there was still considerable
fear Of them in the hearts Of many
people.
Jenkins finally got his are adjusted.
threw open his shutter. and started
the crank, and on the white square
tackled on the back wall flashed Anna
bel with her voluminous silked skirts
She whirled, pirroutted and the colors
cleaned and glowed IN her almost
transparent drapery. There was
little movement in the group OF spec
tators. half uttered exclamation Of
surprise on the part Of a few. and
they leaned forwSrd TO see better
whence this vision came.
None for the moment thought Of
turning and looking back at the little
open projecting machine. Here was
something. so new, so different. that
II must be a trick. Surely. despite
the Jearkiness Of this woman's move
ments. she must be z reality and not
shadow. They had seen photo
graphs, plenty OF them. their family
had its family album, but this surely
could have nothing 70 do with photog-
raphy despite Jenkins's little Drelimi-
nary lecture in which he had given
them some idea as to the modus
operandi OF his exhibition.
A newspaper man studied the edges
Of the area Of light Jenkins prob
ably had a glass window concealed
there and II was really a woman
dancing on some little. improvised
stage.
So. while the light sputtered and
Kissed, and jenkins cranked away,
they studied that screen with no
thought Of the machine back And
then, with a slip and creakinE groan,
the machine stopped. the light went
out, and the exhibition was at an end.
jenkins turned up the large oil
lamp which had been turned very low
on counter just back OF him and
stepped forward smilingly toward the
knot OF spectators He insisted that
the entire performance had emanated
from the machine at his hacl--they
could not believe it. One OF the news
paper men even laughed and said he
dared him to show them the back
wall
Jenkins. delighted at the mystifying
success OF his invention, pulled down
the sheet There was the blank wall
His cousin and the newspaper mar
sounded 1t all over. then went out
the back door and looked at the wall
from the rear. There was no glass
window there and apparently no
means by which any trick could be
worked.
They came back in the room and
Jenkins was explaining the machine
and showing the film with the little
picture on it The group looked and
but still we're incredulous.
They expressed their praise and their
delight and then broke up into little