The Electric Age Presentation by Mindy McAdams Thursday, Week 12

Electricity and Light 1879: Thomas Edison filed a patent for the incandescent light bulb 1880s: First electric companies in U.S. They supplied power for street lights, industrial power, residential lighting, and street car (trolley) services

1879: Thomas Edison filed a patent for the incandescent light bulb

1880s: First electric companies in U.S.

They supplied power for street lights, industrial power, residential lighting, and street car (trolley) services

Spread of Electricity 1930s: In the U.S., 90 percent of urban dwellers had electricity in the home But only 10 percent of rural homes did U.S. government set up the Rural Electrification Administration to “electrify” the countryside

1930s: In the U.S., 90 percent of urban dwellers had electricity in the home

But only 10 percent of rural homes did

U.S. government set up the Rural Electrification Administration to “electrify” the countryside

In part, this was an effort to slow or stop the migration of rural people to the cities. It didn’t work.

Immigrants in the U.S. 1815-1860: 5 million immigrants settled permanently in the United States – mainly English, Irish, Germanic, Scandinavian and others from northwestern Europe 1865-1890: 10 million immigrants came – also mainly from northwestern Europe 1890-1914: 15 million immigrants came– many of whom were Austro-Hungarian, Turkish, Lithuanian, Russian, Greek, Italian, Romanian (Catholics, Jews, Eastern Orthodox, etc.)

1815-1860: 5 million immigrants settled permanently in the United States – mainly English, Irish, Germanic, Scandinavian and others from northwestern Europe

1865-1890: 10 million immigrants came – also mainly from northwestern Europe

1890-1914: 15 million immigrants came– many of whom were Austro-Hungarian, Turkish, Lithuanian, Russian, Greek, Italian, Romanian (Catholics, Jews, Eastern Orthodox, etc.)

The First Movies Eadweard Muybridge The Lumi è re Brothers: Cinematograph Thomas Edison: Kinetoscope Film technology The Nickelodeon Adolph Zukor, producer and distributor

Eadweard Muybridge

The Lumi è re Brothers: Cinematograph

Thomas Edison: Kinetoscope

Film technology

The Nickelodeon

Adolph Zukor, producer and distributor

Eadweard Muybridge 1872: Leland Stanford hired Eadweard Muybridge (a landscape photographer) to answer a question: Is there ever a moment when a horse has all four hooves off the ground? 1878: Muybridge rigged a racetrack with a dozen strings that triggered 12 cameras to take a series of photographs

1872: Leland Stanford hired Eadweard Muybridge (a landscape photographer) to answer a question: Is there ever a moment when a horse has all four hooves off the ground?

1878: Muybridge rigged a racetrack with a dozen strings that triggered 12 cameras to take a series of photographs

Eadweard Muybridge Muybridge not only proved Stanford right ; he also started the revolution in motion photography that would become movies “ He is the man who split the second, as dramatic and far-reaching an action as the splitting of the atom.” – Rebecca Solnit, Muybridge biographer

Muybridge not only proved Stanford right ; he also started the revolution in motion photography that would become movies

“ He is the man who split the second, as dramatic and far-reaching an action as the splitting of the atom.”

The Lumi è re Brothers 1895: The two brothers (Auguste and Louis) gave the first public film screening ever What? About 10 short films lasting 20 minutes Where? In the basement lounge of the Grand Cafe in Paris It was the first public demonstration of the device they had invented – the “Cinematograph”

1895: The two brothers (Auguste and Louis) gave the first public film screening ever

What? About 10 short films lasting 20 minutes

Where? In the basement lounge of the Grand Cafe in Paris

It was the first public demonstration of the device they had invented – the “Cinematograph”

The Cinematograph The Lumi è re brothers called their invention the “Cinematograph” It was a camera, projector and film printer in one The Lumi è res produced more than 1,400 short films

The Lumi è re brothers called their invention the “Cinematograph”

It was a camera, projector and film printer in one

The Lumi è res produced more than 1,400 short films

Thomas Edison Invented a camera that could record a sequence of images in a single camera 1888: Eadweard Muybridge came to visit Edison’s lab Muybridge proposed that they collaborate and combine Muybridge’s Zoopraxiscope with Edison’s existing phonograph

Invented a camera that could record a sequence of images in a single camera

1888: Eadweard Muybridge came to visit Edison’s lab

Muybridge proposed that they collaborate and combine Muybridge’s Zoopraxiscope with Edison’s existing phonograph

Thomas Edison Soon afterward, Edison filed a “caveat” with the U.S. Patents Office describing ideas for a device that would “do for the eye what the phonograph does for the ear ” Edison called his invention a Kinetoscope: Greek words kineto (meaning “movement”) plus scopos (“to watch”)

Soon afterward, Edison filed a “caveat” with the U.S. Patents Office describing ideas for a device that would “do for the eye what the phonograph does for the ear ”

Edison called his invention a Kinetoscope: Greek words kineto (meaning “movement”) plus scopos (“to watch”)

Kinetoscope: “Peep Show” Kinetoscope: A wooden cabinet, 18 in. x 27 in. x 4 ft. high Peephole with magnifying lenses at the top Inside the box: Film, in a continuous band, rolled over a series of spools A large, electrically driven sprocket wheel moved the film via sprocket holes punched in the edges of the film

Kinetoscope: A wooden cabinet, 18 in. x 27 in. x 4 ft. high

Peephole with magnifying lenses at the top

Inside the box: Film, in a continuous band, rolled over a series of spools

A large, electrically driven sprocket wheel moved the film via sprocket holes punched in the edges of the film

1891: Patent filed for the Kinetograph (the camera) and the Kinetoscope (the viewer) 1892: Kinetoscope completed 1893: First public demonstration of the Kinetoscope -- at the Brooklyn (N.Y.) Institute of Arts and Sciences 1895: Edison sells Kinetophones, with a phonograph added inside the cabinet (sound!)

1891: Patent filed for the Kinetograph (the camera) and the Kinetoscope (the viewer)

1892: Kinetoscope completed

1893: First public demonstration of the Kinetoscope -- at the Brooklyn (N.Y.) Institute of Arts and Sciences

1895: Edison sells Kinetophones, with a phonograph added inside the cabinet (sound!)

Inside the Kinetoscope, a continuous loop of film traveled over a series of rollers

Kinetoscope “Parlors” 1894: The first Kinetoscope parlor opened, in New York Five machines were placed in a row A customer could view the films in all the machines for a total of 25 cents Kinetoscope parlors soon opened around the United States

1894: The first Kinetoscope parlor opened, in New York

Five machines were placed in a row

A customer could view the films in all the machines for a total of 25 cents

Kinetoscope parlors soon opened around the United States

What Kind of Films? “Actuality”: A short non-fiction film produced by American and European filmmakers during the first 10 years of the motion picture industry “Actualities” typically recorded famous people and places, and also events of interest to general audiences These were the most frequently produced type of film in America until about 1902

“Actuality”: A short non-fiction film produced by American and European filmmakers during the first 10 years of the motion picture industry

“Actualities” typically recorded famous people and places, and also events of interest to general audiences

These were the most frequently produced type of film in America until about 1902

Technology: Film 1896: Eastman (Kodak) manufactured the first print film designed for projection Now it was no longer necessary to view “motion pictures” individually on the Kinetoscope Movies could be projected onto a screen 1899: The Eastman Co. invented a way to manufacture film in 1,000-foot lengths Now it was possible to photograph longer and more complex scenes

1896: Eastman (Kodak) manufactured the first print film designed for projection

Now it was no longer necessary to view “motion pictures” individually on the Kinetoscope

Movies could be projected onto a screen

1899: The Eastman Co. invented a way to manufacture film in 1,000-foot lengths

Now it was possible to photograph longer and more complex scenes

The Nickelodeon The first movie houses (theaters) were called “nickelodeons” It cost 5 cents to get in By 1908, there were nearly 8,000 nickelodeon theaters in the U.S. By 1910, there were 10,000 Most popular types of films: Comedies and melodramas

The first movie houses (theaters) were called “nickelodeons”

It cost 5 cents to get in

By 1908, there were nearly 8,000 nickelodeon theaters in the U.S.

By 1910, there were 10,000

Most popular types of films: Comedies and melodramas

Nickelodeon Shows At the nickelodeon, there was live entertainment along with the film – singing, dancing, comedy acts, sound effects The whole show lasted 15 to 90 minutes and changed every couple of days (in some cases, even every day)

At the nickelodeon, there was live entertainment along with the film – singing, dancing, comedy acts, sound effects

The whole show lasted 15 to 90 minutes and changed every couple of days (in some cases, even every day)

The Mass Audience “ You have to understand what was happening in this country to see why movies were catching on. From 1900 to 1910, about … 10 million immigrants poured in, and because nickelodeon movies were new , cheap , silent and set up no language difficulties , they became a popular pastime.” – Adolph Zuckor

“ You have to understand what was happening in this country to see why movies were catching on. From 1900 to 1910, about … 10 million immigrants poured in, and because nickelodeon movies were new , cheap , silent and set up no language difficulties , they became a popular pastime.” – Adolph Zuckor

Adolph Zukor (1873-1976) One of the first people to make big profits in the movie business Realized that three elements of the film business were financially dependent on one another: Production Distribution Exhibition

One of the first people to make big profits in the movie business

Realized that three elements of the film business were financially dependent on one another:

Production

Distribution

Exhibition

Adolph Zukor Made money at first in the fur business 1912: Started the Famous Players Film Company with a partner By 1919, they had made 140 silent films Paramount Pictures Corp.: Distributor for films produced by Famous Players Zukor bought stock in Paramount to protect his production business 1935: He became head of Paramount

Made money at first in the fur business

1912: Started the Famous Players Film Company with a partner

By 1919, they had made 140 silent films

Paramount Pictures Corp.: Distributor for films produced by Famous Players

Zukor bought stock in Paramount to protect his production business

1935: He became head of Paramount

“ The night of July 12, 1912, was a historic one for the motion picture industry. The elite of the theater world and society figures who would not have been caught viewing a movie, then considered a vulgar form of entertainment, attended the premiere of ‘Queen Elizabeth.’ The movie lasted only 40 minutes, but it has been considered the first feature-length film to be shown in America.” From The New York Times obituary for Adolph Zukor , June 11, 1976

Sound Comes to the Movies 1926: Warner Bros. produced a sound film: “Don Juan” 1927: Considered the first sound film: “The Jazz Singer,’ starring Al Jolson (first film to use voices in a soundtrack) Movie theaters all over the world converted their projectors to play “talkies” in the late 1920s and 1930s Theaters installed electronic “public address” systems – amplifiers and loudspeakers

1926: Warner Bros. produced a sound film: “Don Juan”

1927: Considered the first sound film: “The Jazz Singer,’ starring Al Jolson (first film to use voices in a soundtrack)

Movie theaters all over the world converted their projectors to play “talkies” in the late 1920s and 1930s

Theaters installed electronic “public address” systems – amplifiers and loudspeakers

Resurgence Transformation from silent films to talkies happened fast Within two years, the expensive task of updating the technology – for both movie production and the theaters themselves – was nearly done A huge s urge in attendance followed By 1931, audiences had increased by 30 million people per week

Transformation from silent films to talkies happened fast

Within two years, the expensive task of updating the technology – for both movie production and the theaters themselves – was nearly done

A huge s urge in attendance followed

By 1931, audiences had increased by 30 million people per week

Surviving the Depression During the Great Depression (1929 – 1941), most of the Hollywood studios suffered financially Attendance at movie theaters fell But even in the worst of the Depression, movie attendance remained at 60 million to 75 million per week Total U.S. population, 1930: 123 million Total U.S. population, 1940: 132 million

During the Great Depression (1929 – 1941), most of the Hollywood studios suffered financially

Attendance at movie theaters fell

But even in the worst of the Depression, movie attendance remained at 60 million to 75 million per week

Total U.S. population, 1930: 123 million

Total U.S. population, 1940: 132 million

Effects on Society Who attended nickelodeons and silent films? Immigrants Working class Others? Did early movies play a role in “ disciplining ” or acculturating immigrant and working-class audiences? Or did early movies just give the city people some relief from a hard life?

Who attended nickelodeons and silent films?

Immigrants

Working class

Others?

Did early movies play a role in “ disciplining ” or acculturating immigrant and working-class audiences?

Or did early movies just give the city people some relief from a hard life?

The Electric Age Presentation by Mindy McAdams University of Florida