Appendix II — Bibliography and Acknowledgements
The pursuit of the story of the origin of the motion picture has been carried on intermittently since the Winter of 1936–37. As historical books must be, it is based mainly on the written record. Efforts were made, whenever possible, to go directly to the source material. The whole field of books on the motion picture, as well as standard biographical and scientific works, was surveyed.
Research was conducted principally at the following libraries: Library of Congress, Georgetown University, Surgeon General’s, in Washington, D. C., New York Public and Columbia University in New York City. Work was also done at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Hollywood; New York Engineering Societies, the British Museum, London; Trinity College, Dublin, and Vittorio Emanuele—formerly Collegio Romano—library, Rome. Part of the original Kircher Museum at Rome, was inspected in the Summer of 1939. (The early projector models, according to the evidence now available were destroyed shortly after Kircher’s death.) The 1939 exhibit of the works of Leonardo da Vinci in Milan was visited.
Terry Ramsaye, author of A Million and One Nights—A History of the Motion Picture, and editor of Motion Picture Herald, is responsible for suggesting lines of study which led to the decision to write this book. Also, he has rendered valuable guidance and assistance especially in connection with the early American motion picture pioneers, and in reading the manuscript and contributing the foreword.
Special thanks are due to members of the faculty of Georgetown University for making available works in the Riggs Memorial Library of that institution and giving assistance on special aspects of the subject. The writer likewise is grateful for having had the opportunity of consulting books in the splendid Epstein Photographic Collection at the Columbia University Library, and for biographical notes on Robert W. Paul secured through the Cambridge Instrument Company. Appreciation is expressed to Rev. Hunter Guthrie, S.J., dean of the Graduate School, Georgetown University, and to Dr. Alfred N. Goldsmith, consulting engineer, for kindness in reading proofs and offering invaluable suggestions.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The following is a list of books, arranged according to the chapters of this story, which may serve to disclose any particular part of the subject to readers who wish to make a detailed study. In general articles in the various periodicals give the first, and often most complete, publication of each development. This list represents only a limited number of the books and publications consulted, but the principal titles are included:
GENERAL
Terry Ramsaye. A Million and One Nights.
New York, 1926.
A standard history of the motion picture and a special source of material on Edison, Muybridge, Armat, Latham and other early American experimenters.
Joseph Antoine Ferdinand Plateau. “Bibliographie des principaux phénomenes subjectifs de la vision depuis les temps ancients jusqu’à la fin du XVIII siècle,” Mémoires. Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux Arts de Belgique. Brussels, 1877–1878. A most complete, annotated list of works on vision.
Lynn Thorndike. History of Magic and Experimental Sciences.
New York, 1923–41.
A monumental reference work of particular interest to scholars.
Henry V. Hopwood. Living Pictures: their history, photo-reproduction and practical working. London, 1899.
Robert Bruce Foster. Hopwood’s Living Pictures.
London, 1915.
The original edition of this book and the revised edition both include a general review of early activity plus a valuable bibliography of the period from 1825 to 1898.
G. Michel Coissac. Histoire du Cinématographe de ses origines jusqu’à nos jours. Paris, 1925.
The first half of this book is an important historical work, written from the French point of view. An appendix lists French cinema patents issued from 1890 to 1900.
Major General James Waterhouse. “Notes on the early history of the camera obscura,” Photographic Journal, Vol. XXV, No. 9.
London, May 31, 1901.
Georges Potonniee. Les Origines du Cinématographe.
Paris, 1928.
Wilfred E. L. Day. Illustrated Catalogue of the Will Day Historical Collection of Cinematograph and Moving Picture Equipment.
London.
Simon Henry Gage and Henry Phelps Gage. Optic Projection.
Ithaca, N. Y., 1914.
This book has a good historical bibliography.
Periodicals which contain important papers include:
Philosophical Transactions. Royal Society of London. London.
Journal. Royal Institution of Great Britain. London.
Comptes-rendus. Académie des Sciences (Institut de France). Paris.
Cosmos; revue des sciences et de leurs applications. (Also known as Les Mondes). Paris.
La Nature. Paris.
Scientific American. New York.
U. S. Patent Office Gazette. Washington, D. C.
Photographic Journal, including the transactions of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain. London.
Photographic Journal of America. Philadelphia.