04.22.06
Rare British Silent Film History Volumes for Cheap
Carpe diem, o silent film geek: four of the five volumes of John Barnes’ landmark study of The Beginnings of the Cinema in England, 1894-1901 (the University of Exeter Press editions) are currently available for super-cheap (a measly $7-$12 each, or about $44 for the lot) via the respected remainder purveyor, HamiltonBook.com. (When you get there, seach for “Beginnings of the Cinema in England” and they should all show up.)
The missing volume there is, unfortunately, vol. 3 which examines the producers, exhibitors, films and equipment of 1898 — some of the most interesting and elusive history; but even without that it’s a screaming deal. I would suggest getting vols. 1, 2, 4, and 5 from HamiltonBook.com, then trolling BookFinder.com for volume 3 which, I warn you, is not very plentiful. (I managed to find my copy for about $30, including shipping.) To give you some perspective, I found one lone seller offering the full set, same edition, for $150. Using the above scheme, I got a complete set for about half that.
While early histories devote reams to Edison and the Lumière brothers, important pioneering British efforts qua the creation of cinema are, at best, relegated to mere passing references to Birt Acres and Robert Paul (whom we must thank for providing Georges Méliès with his first movie camera, the Lumières being unwilling to sell him one of their own Cinématographes, on the undoubtedly duplicitous grounds that it was all a passing fad and they could not possibly, heavens no, allow Mssr. Méliès waste his money). While no one can reasonably deny the primary importance of the gentlemen from West Orange, NJ and Paris, France, this is nevertheless a great injustice to film history and those who made it. Barnes’ Beginnings of the Cinema in England amply fills in the gaping chasm.
Following is what Stephen Herbert and Luke McKernan have to say about Barnes’ mammoth study in their bibliographic notes at Victorian-Cinema.net, the excellent companion site to their book, Who’s Who of Victorian Cinema: A Worldwide Survey (BFI, 1996)…which is also currently available for half-cover-price from co-author Herbert’s The Projection Box site.
Barnes, John, The Beginnings of the Cinema in England, 1894-1901 (Exeter: University Exeter Press, 1996-1998)
Volume one of John Barnes’ history of Victorian Cinema, The Beginnings of Cinema in England (London: David & Charles, 1976) tells the story of how the Edison Kinetoscope and Lumière Cinématographe came to Britain, the first English films made by Birt Acres and Robert Paul, and Britain’s first film shows to the end of 1896. Detailed descriptions of the equipment used and the films produced. Further volumes in the series are: (vol. 2) The Rise of the Cinema in Great Britain (London: Bishopsgate, 1983), continues the story, covering 1897, the year of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee year; (vol. 3) Pioneers of the British Film (London: Bishopsgate, 1988), examines the producers, exhibitors, films and equipment of 1898; (vol. 4) Filming the Boer War (London: Bishopsgate, 1992), takes us through 1899, with the war being just one of the activities covered; (vol. 5) The Beginnings of the Cinema in England, 1894-1901: Volume Five – 1900 (Exeter: University of Exeter Press, 1997) takes the story to the end of the Victorian era. All five volumes (volume one revised) have now been published as a set, The Beginnings of the Cinema in England 1894-1901, by University of Exeter Press. An essential reference for anyone interested in the origins of film in Britain and the personalities involved.
