The Beginnings of the Cinema in England, 1894-1901: Volume 5: 1900 (Volume 5) - Softcover

Barnes, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0859899586 ISBN 13: 9780859899581

Publisher: University of Exeter Press, 2015

Synopsis

Describing in detail one of the most inventive periods in the history of English cinema, the volumes in this celebrated series are already established as classics in their field. Each volume details the highlights of a single cinematic year, including details of production, manufacturers of equipment, dealers, and exhibitors. This is augmented by numerous carefully chosen illustrations and a comprehensive filmography of English films, fiction and nonfiction, for the year. Particular attention is also paid to the ways in which the cinema of other countries affected the English industry. Volume 5 is edited and introduced by Richard Maltby.

About this title

About the Author:

John Barnes (1920–2008) wrote extensively on the beginnings of the cinema and on precinema history. With his twin brother, William, he produced a collection of films documenting life in Kent in the 1930s.

Review:

“The eagerly awaited publication of John Barnes' fifth volume marks the final instalment of this groundbreaking series ... it seemed for a while that it might never see the light of day. That it has done so, and that the other books in the series have been re-issued, is testimony not only to John's tenacity, but to the foresight of Exeter University Press ... The series has become the standard reference text for English cinema of this period, with its combination of technical, biographical and contextual information ... As well as providing reliable and comprehensive reference material for film scholars these books are eminently accessible and entertaining. They are a significant contribution to the canon of film scholarship and a fitting testimony to a lifetime's dedication to the cinema.”

–Screening the Past, May 2000

(Screening the Past)

“The five Barnes' volumes stand as a solid work of reference to one of the most imaginative and creative periods of cinema in Britain or anywhere else.” –Screening the Past, May 2000 (Screening the Past)

“Perhaps it is a symptom of this change that the Barnes brothers have now found a publisher in the form of the University of Exeter Press, who have not only brought out this latest volume in style, but have re-issued volumes 2 to 4 in a uniform binding (with a promise of a totally revised volume 1 in 1998). Perhaps, at last, the British academic and archival establishments are coming to appreciate the fascination of the early cinema, a fascination that John and William Barnes have felt for over 60 years.” –Film History, Vol. 10, No. 1, 1998

(Film History)

“A triumphant finale to a major achievement in social as well as cinema history. . . Barnes' chronicle is meticulous and wonderfully illustrated. Cumulatively, it has shown this period was arguably British cinema's most inventive” –Sight and Sound, Vol. 8, Issue 2, February 1998 (Sight and Sound)

“...this remarkable set of books should be in every university library in the country, and on the shelves of every film historian.” –Viewfinder, No. 32, February 1998 (Viewfinder)

“...Beginnings of the Cinema in England belongs beside such founding works as Rachael Low's History of the British Film and Denis Gifford's British Film Catalogue. It is an essential work in the literature of the film.” –Film Quarterly (Film Quarterly)

“Film studies for years to come will be indebted to him for having immeasurably enriched the literature on his subject.” –Quarterly Review of Film Studies (Quarterly Review of Film Studies)

“. . . essential reading . . . a labour of love that will intrigue any cineaste.” –Film Quarterly (Film Quarterly)

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Exeter Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0859899586
• ISBN 13: 9780859899581
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 364