Howard Lamarr Walls

“ After an examination of the record, it appears that the earliest motion picture copyrighted was Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze, January 7, 1894. The claimant was William Kennedy Laurie Dickson, West Orange, New Jersey. This film, popularly known in film circles as “Fred Ott’s Sneeze,” and famous as one of the films which launched the modern motion picture industry, now has added fame as the first to be registered for copyright. There were only three other entries to the end of 1894. ”

“ All motion pictures copyrighted as photographs from 1894 to 1912, the period covered by this catalog, fall correspondingly into these categories. They are recorded in over five hundred official copyright record books, each of which contains about two thousand entries. To compile the catalog it was necessary to search approximately one million entries, and to determine—by title, or copyright claimant, or both—which items recorded as photographs did, or did not, represent motion pictures. ”

“ For some inexplicable reason, there is a total gap from the end of 1894 to October 23, 1896, at which date the registrations substantially began and continued. One highly important irregularity in this connection must be pointed out; there is evidence that the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, in its 1902 and 1903 registrations, submitted, along with current material, a considerable backlog of pictures produced from late 1895 to 1902. An appreciable amount of research would have to be done to clarify the wide discrepancies between the production and copyright dates of this company. ”

“ It is hoped that this catalog will serve not only those seeking information regarding the copyright history and status of these films but will also be of material assistance to those studying the motion picture as an art, as an important means of communication, as a historical record, or as an effective social force. ”

“ The making of motion pictures soon became a highly competitive business, and producers were eager to obtain some sort of protection for their works. The copyright law at that time did not provide for the registration of motion pictures as such, and was not amended to do so until August 24, 1912. The only course open to pioneer producers was to register their works as photographs and hope that the desired protection had been obtained. ”

“ Sometimes such information includes a numeral which may well have had originally some descriptive value but which cannot now be identified, either as a production number, a catalog number, or a number indicating the relationship of the particular film to other films. In many instances, the successive scenes or parts of a motion picture were registered separately, each registration including the main title and the title of the particular part. ”

“ Because the record of these deposits was not consistently kept in the record books, the information has been omitted from the entries in this catalog. Beginning with July 1, 1909, provision was made for copyright protection both of published and of unpublished works in some classes, among which photographs and, later, motion pictures were included. For published works, the date of the beginning of the term of copyright was determined by the date of publication supplied in the application; for unpublished works, by the deposit of one copy in xithe Copyright Office. ”

“ These films depict the true customs, dress, and manners of the time and place; they show general world events, Presidential inaugurations; events of the Spanish-American War, noted political figures and other personalities, fires and disasters, sports, popular dances, and many other phases in the life of this period. ”

“ Here is a cross section of the nonfictional film titles, selected at random from this early collection: “Street Scene, Chicago” (1897) ; “Troop Ships for the Philippines” (1898) ; “Burial of the Maine Victims” (1898) ; “Admiral Dewey Landing at Gibraltar” (1899) ; “Sharkey-Jeffries Fight” (1899) ; “Automobile Parade” (1900) ; “Boers Bringing in British Prisoners” (1900) ; “President McKinley Taking Oath of Office” (1901) ; “President McKinley’s Funeral Cortege at Washington, D. C.” (1901) ”

“ Lists annually about 2,500 registrations for filmstrips and theatrical and nontheatrical motion pictures. Alphabetical arrangement by title, with a classified list arranged under headings which indicate the general nature or intended use of the films, a subject index for nontheatrical films, and an index of claimants, producing companies, sponsors, and authors. ”

“ A general correlation of the films under supplied subject headings was, as in the case of extensive research, considered beyond the scope of the project. Such grouping has been left to those whose special interest may require it. To facilitate such further research, the Claimant Index provides a chronological listing of titles by year to bring them together in their significant time relationships. ”

“ A complete solution to the complexities and limitations existing in the project would have required motion picture research, but such research is beyond the scope or function of the Copyright Office, and of the project for which I was employed. ”

“ These facts are indicated in the entries by the use of date alone for all published works and by the addition of the abbreviation 1c immediately preceding the date for all unpublished works.
4. Registration number. Prior to January 1, 1900, all works were numbered in sequence as they were registered, and a new series of numbers was established at the beginning of each calendar year. In citing the number for any registration made during this period, the year date must, therefore, be given. ”

“ Hence, the record is passed along to you precisely as it stands with minor additions and corrections. viiiMisspellings and similar minor errors have been dealt with by corrections written within brackets. In several instances, where titles of factual films are ambiguous as to persons, places, or things, it has been possible to draw on first-hand knowledge to enhance their meaning and significance. This information is also presented, within brackets, with a view to increasing as much as possible the practical value of the catalog. ”

“ Information which appears in the title in the record book and which relates to the principal player or to the number of parts and scenes is given in a brief statement following the title as described above. ”

“ Washing Clothes at Sicily. West Indian Boys Diving for Money. West Indian Girls in Native Dance. Wharf Scene and Natives Swimming at St. Thomas, D. W. I. What Happened in the Tunnel. White Wings on Review. 1904. Animated Painting. Annual Baby Parade, 1904, Asbury Park, N. J. Annual Parade, New York Fire Department. Babe and Puppies. Bad Boy’s Joke on the Nurse. Battle of Chemulpo Bay. Boxing Horses, Luna Park, Coney Island. ”

“ Boys Diving, Honolulu. Boys Help Themselves to Foxy Grandpa’s Cigars. Boys, Still Determined, Try It Again on Foxy Grandpa, with the Same Result. Boys Think They Have One on Foxy Grandpa, But He Fools Them. ”

“ Ostriches Feeding. Ostriches Running. Pack Mules with Ammunition on the Santiago Trail, Cuba. Packing Ammunition on Mules, Cuba. Parade of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Parade of Chinese. Parade of Coaches. Parade of Marines, U. S. Cruiser, “Brooklyn.” Picking Oranges. Police Boats Escorting Naval Parade. Procession of Floats. Procession of Mounted Indians and Cowboys. Railway Station at Yokohama. Repairing Streets in Mexico. Return of 2nd Regiment of New Jersey. ”

“ Dynamiting Ruins and Pulling Down Walls in San Francisco. Flat Dwellers. Foul Play. Humorous Phases of Funny Faces. Indian’s Revenge. Jail Bird and How He Flew. Lost Collar Button. Love vs. Title. Man with the Ladder and the Hose. Mid-Winter Night’s Dream. Modern Oliver Twist. Mother in-Law. Naval Review at Oyster Bay. Nobody Works Like Father. ”

“ A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED. © American Mutoscope & Biograph Co.; 9Feb1906; H73108.
A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED. © The Vitagraph Co. of America; 10May1909; H126780.
A FRIEND IN THE ENEMY’S CAMP. © The Vitagraph Co. of America; 13Mar1909; H123951.
THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY. © Biograph Co.; 1c 16July1909; J129548.
FROLICS ON THE BEACH AT CONEY ISLAND. SEE Buried Alive. ”

“ Life Motion Photographs of the FitzSimmons and Ruhlin Fight. Reproduction of the Corbett and McCoy Fight. Reproduction of the FitzSimmons and Sharkey Fight. Reproduction of the Jeffries and Corbett Fight. Reproduction of the McGovern and Dixon Fight. Reproduction of the Olsen and Roeber Wrestling Match. Reproduction of the Sharkey and FitzSimmons Fight. Sapho. 1901. Affair of Honor. Cook’s Revenge. Esquimaux Village. Evolution of Man—an Educated Chimpanzee. ”

“ Wages of Sin. Wagons Loading Mail, U.S.P.O. Waiting for Bill. Wake in Hell’s Kitchen. Washing the Baby. Washington Bridge and Speedway. Washwoman’s Daughter. Water Buffalo, Manila. Water Duel. Wawona, Big Tree. Weighing the Baby. Welsh Rabbit. West Point Cadets. What Are the Wild Waves Saying, Sister? What Boys Will Do. What Happened to Jones. Why Papa Can’t Sleep. Who Pays for the Drinks? Who Said Chicken? Who’s Got the Red Ear? Why Curfew Did Not Ring. Why Foxy Grandpa Escaped a Ducking. ”

“ Lists annually about 5,000 registrations, approximately 70 percent of which are unpublished dramatic and dramatico-musical works. Alphabetical arrangement by author, except that radio and television programs are listed under title. Lectures, sermons, and addresses are also included in this Catalog. ”

“ Boys Try to Put One Up on Foxy Grandpa. Bridal Veil Falls. Bridge Traffic, Manila. Brook Trout Fishing. Bucking the Blizzard. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Parade. Buffalo Fire Department. Burglar-Proof Bed. Capt. Boynton Feeding His Pets. Career of Crime, no. 1–5. Carrie Nation Smashing a Saloon. Caught in the Undertow. Cavalry Charge. Chappie and Ben Bolt. Ch-ien-Men Gate, Pekin. Children Feeding Ducklings. Chimmie Hicks at the Races. Chimney Sweep and the Miller. Christmas Morning. Christmas Party. Close Shave. Club Swinging, Carlisle Indian School. Coaching for a Record. ”