The Delta independent., 1922-12-29
EDUCATION sY THE
MOVING PICTURES

1t is not an exaggeration to say that
moving pictures are the most revolu.
tionary invention since the printing
press. Flying machines are more
spectacular. the telegraph. the tele-
phone. and the sewing have a greater
industrial value, but none Of these can
rank in educational value with the
moving picture camera. For Just as
the printing press put books, once the
exclusive possession Of a privileged
class, within the reach of every one,
SO have moving pictures put within
the reach of everyone phase of edu-
cation that cannot be contained in
books. There are ideas, OF course,
which cannot be communicated by
means Of pictures. but on the other
hand there are things which can be
communicated to large numbers of
people in no other way.
Moving pictures can present to a
child vision Of all the wonders of the
universe in a language which he can
understand, for they do not demand
ability to grasp the contents of a
printed page. They speak to man the
simplest language. the picture lam
guage. The cavemen Of France made
drawings on the walls OF their caves
thousands Of years ago. from which
we Of today can read their history.
The Egyptians developed . picture
language which speaks to us after .
lapse Of centuries. In moving hack to
that most primitive means OF commun.
ication and have translated II into .
universal language. For pictures
speak in every tongs1s; in them We
have language which enables people
in any part Of the world to tell their
story to other human beings in every
quarter Of the globe.
This does not mean that books have
lost any Of their value. but simply that
books, indeed. and life itself. can Be
made more interesting. through the
use Of moving pictures. History and
geography and natural history, science
and industry, are and literature can be
made more vivid and interesting by
means OF this invention. We study
history to gain q knowledge Of the
world as It was before our time. This
knowledge IL locked up in books and
historical documents. in the literature,
and art and architecture of the past.
The moving picture director can make
use Of every available historical
source to reproduce q picture Of by
gone days and bygone people. The
Last Days Of Pompeii Is q good exam
pie of such film. and the effect Of
seeing such film 10 not only to graft
fy curiosity about q particular period.
but also to stimulate II, SO that one
will want to know moro and more,
and will 90 to books for this further
knowledge Of ancient peoples.
One Of the greatest advancements
IN the moving picture career has been
made in Natural History. With the
invention Of the rapid camera, the d.
gestion has been photographed in .
trout, fowl, and other small animals.
One Frenchman has even Photograph
ID . bee colony. This film 10 five
reels long. and contains the pictures
Of the entire colony life and etch bee
IL seen doing his certain work. The
|Pathe compsny has been collecting
such films and now has q very com.
plete library. but these films are not
open for the public Just yet.
Many improvements have been
made in q scientific line. Cameras
are now made that will make 500 con.
secutive pictures in one-tenth Of =
second, and cameras that just make
one picture IN hour. The first 10 used