The contents of A History of Pre-Cinema Volume 1 (and its companion volumes 2 and 3) cover the optical devices used for entertainment and instruction that proliferated before the introduction of cinema. To view pre-cinema devices merely as steps towards the cinema, however, would be a very narrow perspective. They were - and in some cases still are - self-contained media with their own peculiarities, differences, potential and limitations. This volume concentrates on items published before the spread of the cinema and later references to devices of that period. Having easy access to original texts in facsimile is a useful resource for researchers. Volume 1 is divided into the following sections: The camera obscura; Photography; Stereoscopy; Moving photographs; Chronophotography; Optical, philosophical toys.
Biography
Stephen Herbert trained as a media technician, and spent many years in film exhibition and production. His interest in the origins of the moving image led to Stephen co-editing the influential book and website Who’s Who of Victorian Cinema, and contributions to academic journals. He ran the small press The Projection Box, and has recently retired as a freelance museum consultant.
'This three volume set is a unique fascimile set of rare documents on "Time Based" Visual Media. The books concentrate on items published beforde the spread of cinema and later references to devices of that period. Priority is given to documents that are rare and/or difficult to consult. For this, the set has great value for researchers by giving insight on vintage documents dating back to the period before the dawn of cinematography & cinema' - Early Visual Media.
